A Change of Plans
by canrunarace8
Summary: Amon goes undercover and infiltrates the Avatar's life with the intention of getting rid of her. His plan takes an unexpected turn. Very informal, fit it in with season 1 where you see fit, although it starts after episode 3, during episode 4 sorta. I know it's kinda late considering how long ago the show ended but I just really like these characters (especially Amon as a villain).
1. Chapter 1

1:

He was seated in the back of one of the police's steel lined vans. He rested his arms on his knees and buried his face in his hands. World-weary was an easy emotion to fake, since he had felt it often. He touched the smooth skin of his face without the gritty, smudging makeup that formed his scar. He picked at the corners of his eyes, remembering how the red paint sometimes stuck there. He let out a sigh and sat back to face his companion.

She was staring at him with a small smile playing at the corner of her lips and concern in her eyes. It wasn't something he had ever expected to see. "You're younger than I thought," he said. He pitched his voice up and got rid of his affected accent that he used for speeches.

She grinned, and some of the worry left her expression. "Yeah, seventeen," she said.

Seventeen. She was still a child, even if she didn't know it. For a brief moment, he wished that she was a little older. It would help to get rid of the little glimmer of guilt he still felt. "You sounded older over the radio," he said. He sighed and rested on his knees again, a picture of defeat.

"I'm sorry," said the girl. He didn't look up. "I'm sorry I didn't make it in time. What kind of bender are you?"

"I was a waterbender," he said. "Couldn't you tell?"

"You do look like you're from the water tribe," she said. "But someone told me recently not to assume, now that the four nations are starting to come together. Are you from the north or the south?"

"The north," he said, knowing she was more familiar with the southern water tribe.

"Nice to meet a cousin," she said. "What's your name?"

"Temur," said Amon. Every word he said was filled with bitterness. He wanted her to feel her failure.

"I'm Korra," she said. Her voice had deflated a little, and he knew he had succeeded. "If you don't mind me asking, how long were you in there?"

He had come up with a believable timeline before executing his plan. The little details mattered in a deception like this. "Three weeks," he said.

He wasn't looking at her, but he heard the shift of water in her body. She was nervous. "When did he take your bending?" she asked.

"Just yesterday," he said. With two simple words he could imply that she was too slow, too unsure of herself. If only she had acted the day before, he might still have his bending.

Again, an uncomfortable shift occurred in her body. "Why did he wait?" she asked. "Why didn't he want to use you in the demonstration two weeks ago?"

Clever girl. Luckily, he had an excuse ready for this as well. In fact, his explanation was the crux of his plan. He met her eye with a new expression. Now, it was his turn to be nervous. "I don't know," he said in a very unconvincing way.

She noticed. "It's alright," she said. "You can tell me."

His eyes flicked over to the window looking into the driver's compartment. It was so obvious that he knew she would understand. Her head twisted towards the little window before standing. She balanced herself against the movement of the van, took one quick step over to his bench, and sat next to him, leaning in an appropriate distance, but still close enough for him to whisper his secret.

She was right there. He could forgo the rest of his plan and snap her neck without a second thought. The cycle would continue, but it would take years for a new Avatar to emerge and develop. He might even be able to intercept the child and sway it to his will. How perfect would that be? He played around with the thought for a second but decided his original course was better.

"I…" he said with a planned hesitation. "I'm not just a waterbender. I'm a bloodbender."

As expected, she jumped away from him, sliding down the bench towards the door. "You're a bloodbender?" she asked.

He put on his best look of contrition. "I'm not dangerous!" he said. "I wasn't. I mean, you didn't even know my name. I never used it on anyone or got into trouble with it."

Her sympathy had disappeared. "How did you get to be a bloodbender then?" she asked. "Without practicing?"

From their previous interactions, he had pegged her as a rash, impulsive, stupid sort of person. It seemed that she was more thoughtful than that. Still, he had his plan, and it accounted for any twist or turn. He looked away from her, as if looking into the past. His story wasn't too far from the truth, but he omitted the more important details.

"I found out when I was a kid that I was a little more in tune with water than most of my friends," he said. "Not more than you, I'm sure, but I started noticing it during the full moon as I was growing up. When I told my father, he realized what it meant, and he was scared of it. He knew the law Master Katara put in place, but he also thought that I shouldn't just ignore my ability.

"We started out on moonlight fishing trips, and made me catch fish using bloodbending. I got pretty good. Enough to be able to control a turtle seal, but I've never used it on a human being. Ever."

The final part was the key. He would see if she was intuitive enough to take the bait he was offering. "I haven't used it once for the past twenty years since I left the north pole. Then when the Equalists caught me, they told me what they were going to do to me, and I panicked. It was close enough to the full moon that I was able to take hold of some of them, but then Amon showed up." He paused for effect, and felt the girl's heartbeat. "For a second, I could feel his fear. He wouldn't get close to me. But I was distracted enough not to notice the chi-blocking net they shot at me.

"The last thing I heard from him was that no one was supposed to get close to me for the next three weeks. They locked me in that cell with enough food and water to pass the time, and then Amon showed up yesterday to take my bending away. I couldn't bloodbend, or do anything to stop him."

"Yesterday was the new moon," she said. Another thoughtful connection. He had underestimated her.

The silence passed between them for a long time, and he wondered what she was thinking. Her heart was beating fast enough to indicate anxiety or fear, but it could also mean excitement. Would she understand the implications of his story?

"You're sure he was afraid?" she asked. "How could you tell?"

He had to fight hard to hide a smile. "I could feel it in his heartbeat," he said. "It's just something I can do. Could do," he clarified.

Again, there was a long pause, during which his heart settled into a slow thudding pace. He needed to remain calm, no matter what.

"How good were you?" she asked. "Really?"

"Good enough," he said, trying not to let too much pride enter his voice. He needed to appear ashamed of his talent.

"Is it something you would be able to teach?" she asked.

Hook, line, and sinker. "You want to learn?" he asked. His voice spoke of incredulity. Anything to make her think he was on her side.

Her eyes didn't blink as she stared at him, sizing him up. "Do you really think Amon would be afraid of it?" she asked. "Do you think it could stop him?"

"I don't know if it could stop him," he said. "But I know he was afraid."

He could see his victory in her eyes, but she remained silent for the remainder of their trip. The van stopped at the Republic City main police station, and doors at the back of the van flung open to reveal a harsh orange glow of the electric streetlamps. He shielded his eyes until they became accustomed to the sudden brightness and followed the Avatar into the building.

He was interviewed by the chief of police, Lin Beifong, so the atmosphere in the room was more like an interrogation. The Avatar was allowed to stand in on the session, but she didn't say a single thing, opting to stare at him for signs of uncertainty. He made sure not to scare her off while answering all of the chief's questions sufficiently. He told the same story that he had told the Avatar, except omitting the detail of his bloodbending and the part about scaring Amon. He told Beifong that he didn't know why the equalists had waited to take his bending, and she seemed to believe him. He needed to be careful with her. The chief of police was a decent investigator. She would be able to see through a half-hearted, unprepared lie. Uncertainty was more difficult to see through than dishonesty.

In the end, Beifong's sympathy came out, and she let go of her interrogation facade. She shook his hand and wished him well, promising to bring justice to the equalists. That was when the Avatar cut in.

"Chief, I was going to follow up with Temur," she said.

Beifong shot the girl a chilly look. "Why is that?" she asked.

"Well, as long as you don't need him for further investigation, I kinda wanted to experiment on him," said the Avatar. "So far, he's the only non-criminal whose bending has been taken away, and if anyone deserves to get his bending back right away, it's him. I want to take him to Tenzin and try to work some spiritual mumbo-jumbo on him to get his bending back."

The chief looked sceptical, but nodded. "That's probably the most rational thing you've done since you got here, Avatar," she said. Then she turned her back on both of them and made her way down the hall, leaving him and the Avatar alone to watch her departure.

He opened his mouth to speak, but she held a finger up to her mouth. They made their way back to the entrance in silence, only their footsteps making a sound. He watched her move. In a way, her progression was similar to that of a fox antelope: elegant, smooth and determined. In others, she reminded him of that polar bear dog he had heard so much about, lopping and awkward in her own strength and confidence. Such self-assuredness would be easy for him to challenge, especially physically. He was tall enough to see the crown of her head from above, and his hands were big enough to wrap a stranglehold around her neck. That would have to wait, though.

Outside the air was cool and refreshing. Once they were out of sight of the police station, hidden away from the orange light of the streetlamps, she finally spoke. "I figure, since you told such a convincing lie, that you're agreeing to try this with me?" she asked.

"If you think it's for the best," he said. "I'd like to get back at those equalists. Plus, it's hard to refuse the Avatar."

He could feel the muscles in her face fall into a frown. "Are you going to keep calling me 'Avatar', like everyone else?"

For a second, he felt genuine surprise. He had assumed that she enjoyed her title. "I'm sorry," he said. "That's just what everyone calls you."

"Not my bending instructors," she said, with an affected bow one would perform for a teacher. "Please, call me Korra."

He nodded. "Alright, Korra," he said. "What do we do now?"

"We head to air temple island," she said. "I want to tell Tenzin about this before we begin. Do you need to let anyone know where you'll be?"

Telling the airbender had not been a part of his plan. He was hoping to keep his presence in the Avatar's life a secret. He could fool Beifong for one brief interrogation, and he could fool a child like Korra for an extended period of time, but an enlightened adult airbender would be different. He had planned to work on this operation for a month. He had made all the proper arrangements with his lieutenant and the rest of the equalists. Their plans would be put on hold for a while, during which he would be able to manipulate and destroy the Avatar for good. With Tenzin around, his time was either halved or doubled, and he couldn't be sure which at the moment.

Still, he kept up his act. "No," he said. "My job's gone with my bending, and my family is still in the North Pole." He hesitated on purpose. "Do you think maybe, you might actually be able to bring my bending back?" He added a twinge of pleading into his voice and she ate it up.

"Of course," she said. "It's my number one focus. For everyone."

He tried to look her in the eye, but the shadows were too prevalent, and her face was nothing more than an obscure, round figure. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome. Now, let's head over to the island."

He wished he could use some of his bending to help out with their trip across the bay. She was good, but still young, and yet to achieve her full power. It was one of his advantages, for which he was very grateful, but the pace of their progress in the boat left something to be desired. Besides that, being out on the open water made him wish he could join in and feel the thrill of bending. He had been hiding it for so long now, that even the smallest act of waterbending made him feel good. It was like physical training for the first time after a long injury. Even the pain in the muscles was somehow ecstatic.

When they finally touched down at the dock of Air Temple Island, they were greeted by a statue holding a lantern at the edge of the pier. Only it wasn't a statue, it was the airbender: Tenzin was the picture of dignity. Dressed in his airbender finery and well groomed, even in the middle of the night, he made a very stoic, respectable figure. When the Avatar leapt onto the dock, however, the image was destroyed. He welcomed her with open arms and a kind word.

"We were so worried about you tonight," he said. Then he set her back a step, holding her by the shoulders. "Didn't you say you would be home early?"

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry. We got caught up in a raid of an equalist base. I managed to save one." The way she said the word 'save' made it clear that she did not believe she had saved anyone.

"And who is this?" asked Tenzin, finally turning to the newcomer.

Amon climbed out of the boat with an appropriate clumsiness for someone who had just lost their connection with the water and the sea. He kept his distance from the airbender, but met his eye and introduced himself. "My name's Temur," he said.

"Temur," repeated the airbender. "I'm Tenzin. Korra's guardian in Republic City."

Amon didn't know how to proceed, but the Avatar saved him the trouble. "They took his bending away," she said. "Just like at the demonstration two weeks ago."

"I'm so sorry," said Tenzin. "I can't begin to understand what you're feeling, but I hope you know that we're all trying to find a solution to the current tensions in our city."

Amon nodded, allowing himself a private smile in his subconscious. How futile were their efforts. "I hope it'll be over soon," he said.

Tenzin nodded. "But why are you here tonight?" he asked. "Surely, you would like to go home to your family after being freed?"

"I don't really have fam-," he began. The Avatar cut him off.

"We need to talk about him," she said. "Can we go to the tearoom?"

"Of course," said Tenzin. With a sweep of his orange and yellow robes, he lead the way up the sloping land of the island to one of the houses. Korra and Amon walked side by side, like co-conspirators. She gave him a thumbs up and a playful smile. It was odd seeing her so relaxed and childish around him. He preferred it to her usual loudmouth, boasting attempts to seem older than she was.

Tenzin made them tea and lit a multitude of candles to provide enough light to make it seem like daytime. Amon liked the atmosphere of the place. It was very calm and natural, sort of like a fire-lit hut in the North Pole, but warmer as well. He drank a quick sip of the hot tea and waited for Korra to take the lead.

"So what's this about?" asked Tenzin.

The Avatar took a long, deep breath. "What I'm going to tell you is going to make you mad," she said. Tenzin's expression turned to one of exasperation that Amon guessed he wore very often. "Temur is...was a waterbender before the equalists got him. But he was also a bloodbender."

Tenzin sucked in a quick breath and stared at Amon as if he had some sort of plague. "You were a bloodbender? That's illegal."

"I know," said Amon.

"Let him explain," said the Avatar. "Please, Tenzin, you need to hear this."

The airbender looked stern and skeptical, but he nodded. "Alright, explain yourself."

Amon, as Temur, went through the exact same story he had told the Avatar in the police van: everything about his proclivity for the perverse talent, the details of his 'humane' training, his capture by the equalists, and Amon's fear of bloodbending. By the end of it, Tenzin seemed to be lost in the same sea of thoughts that the Avatar had experienced.

Amon and Korra waited in silence while the airbender processed everything. "So, you believe that bloodbending could be a key to stopping Amon?" asked Tenzin. He directed his question at Amon.

"I don't," he said. He feigned fear of the airbender. "I mean, I didn't think that until she did. I have nothing to do with this plan."

"Yes, he does," said Korra. Her stubborn, forceful voice had returned. "Tenzin, if Amon himself was terrified of bloodbending, maybe it's because he knows it can stop him. Temur said he felt that fear."

Again, Tenzin looked at Amon, who nodded. "I could feel it in his heartbeat," he said.

"So what do you propose?" asked Tenzin.

"That he Temur teaches me bloodbending," said the Avatar. A forced silence fell between the girl and her guardian. It only lasted a few seconds, but Amon could feel the tension.

"You want to learn something so vile that it can control another human being," said Tenzin. "Something that gets rid of free will. Do you really think you understand the gravity of that? Do you Temur?"

Amon put on an expression of shame. "I know," he said. "That's why I never use it."

"Never?" asked Tenzin. The airbender was testing him. "Not even once? Subconsciously? What about when you lost your temper with someone. After a crossed-line or a last straw?"

"Never," said Amon. "I only used it on animals, and that was only because my father wanted me to know what I could do."

"And why was that?" asked Tenzin.

"Because he was afraid that if I didn't know, I might use it the wrong way."

The airbender stared at him with hard black eyes. Amon met his unwavering look without blinking or faltering. He made his expression into one of grave understanding and reluctance at the curse he had been blessed with.

Tenzin turned his gaze on Korra after a while. "I want to make sure you understand what you're getting into," he said. "It would be a bad day for the world if the Avatar were to fall to the corrupting force of absolute power."

"I understand Tenzin," she said. "I'm only doing this because I think it can put an end to Amon's power."

Amon looked at her, hiding a smile. He wanted to laugh his lungs to bursting.

Tenzin seemed to be on her side. "Alright," he said. "I trust your judgement and your intentions. Tell me, Temur, how would she proceed with training this particular skill?"

Amon gathered himself and put on a show of being an inexperienced teacher. If he were not keeping up an act, he would have the Avatar undergo a similar, brutal training to the one he had experience with his father. "Well, we would have to work at night to start with," he said. "Not for a few days because the moon isn't out. But it'll be easier to teach you at night in the beginning. That is, if you have the talent for it. It might not work for you until the full moon." In fact, he was sure of it.

"You mean you can do it at any time?" asked Tenzin. The fear had returned to his eyes.

"Well, I used to be able to," he said. "I don't know how other waterbenders do it, but my dad said he thought almost anyone could learn it as long as they were young enough and pushed hard enough. I don't think it'll be easy for you Ava-I mean Korra, but if you want, we can try to get it to the point where you can do it whenever."

She seemed as nervous about it as her guardian. "Maybe we can just stick to the moonlight thing for now," she said. "I'm not expecting to face Amon in broad daylight anyway."

It was a dumb attitude in his opinion. One had to use every advantage over an enemy, no matter how immoral the world deemed it or how reprehensible it was supposed to be. He continued to smile though. "That sounds good to me," he said.

"It's decided then," said Tenzin. "You'll continue with your airbending training during the day, and start this other thing in the evenings."

"And probending," she said.

Tenzin and Amon had the same reaction, though only the former showed it on his face. "Korra, I wish you'd give up on that silly endeavor," said the airbender. "Even after all you've seen, you still don't seem to understand that his needs your full attention. A lot of people are counting on you." He cast a not-so-subtle glance at Amon.

"I know," said Korra. "But I can't give up on it now. Mako and Bolin are counting on me."

"So when will you sleep?" asked Tenzin. "If you're up all day with me and those boys and spending your nights with waterbending training?"

"Maybe we can start a bit later in the day," said Korra with a smile. "Then I won't have to be so sleep deprived."

Amon stayed out of it while the Avatar argued with her guardian about training times. Clearly, the airbender was not the same sort of teacher that Amon would be if he wasn't acting as the timid Temur. He supposed he would have to work around the girl's whims. At the end of it all, she wasn't really supposed to learn bloodbending. It could make her a risk.

"Alright, well, it's late enough," said Tenzin. "Let's let our new houseguest get some sleep. Would you like to stay with us while you help Korra?"

"It'd be more convenient," said Amon. "If you have room."

"We have more than enough room," said Korra. She jumped to her feet as if it weren't four hours past midnight. Amon picked himself up and felt the weight of the day. "Follow me. I'll show you to one of the spare rooms. Maybe we should dress him up as one of the acolytes so the White Lotus guards don't get suspicious."

Tenzin nodded. "That would be prudent," he said. "I don't know what the consequences would be for teaching bloodbending to the Avatar, but they probably aren't good."

Amon wasn't looking forward to wearing the orange and yellow clothing, but he had no choice but to go along with it. He followed the Avatar to a different building, separate from the main house, but far larger. The hallways wound endlessly, but he committed the route to memory. It turned out to be unnecessary since his room was on the second floor and had a window that was easy to climb out of. At least he would be by himself.

She had found some clothes along the way and handed them over to him. "They'll try to wake you up early tomorrow, but I'll get it sorted out so that they don't bother you after that," she said. There was a small smile on her face. "You should come meet the family at breakfast. It'll be after my early morning training session in the main house."

"That sounds nice," he said. "Thank you, Korra."

The sound of her name instead of her title brought a bigger grin to her face. "No, thank you," she said. "If everything works out, we'll be the ones to put an end to all this."

He nodded and managed a smile before she left. "Goodnight," she said as his door closed behind her.

"Goodnight, Avatar," he whispered to himself. A manic grin stretched over his unburnt face, and Amon allowed himself a soft chuckle before preparing for sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

2:

As she had warned, the air acolytes woke him very early and told him to prepare for work. He ignored their orders but stayed awake. Amon guessed that he only had two hours of sleep, but he was used to such things. The sun was coming in pale through the window, and it hit his face, making it easier to wake up. He stared at the ceiling for a while, contemplating the day and where his plan had brought him.

A temple of benders. If he had been amongst his equalists, he would have put on a show about how the place was nothing more than a monument to tyranny where the benders had roped themselves off and placed themselves above the common man. He was already writing the speech in his head, though it would never be used.

His followers were not here, however, and he was an expert in self reflection. In reality, he was not a savior, not a champion of the people. He had never wanted to be. Since the first time he had used bloodbending, he had known what he was and would become. The word wasn't kind, no matter which version he used. Despot was the one he chose. It had been one thing to have their bodies. He could control multiple people with his bending, and it felt good when he did. It was another thing entirely to have their minds, and the pleasure was so perfect that it was worth hiding his abilities to satisfy that need. Once the world was free of bending, it would be easy for him to have both.

He was a step closer to full control. The only real opposition, the only threat, was the Avatar. He didn't know what the girl was capable of, and he was learning not to underestimate her. He knew from his father that the Avatar could stop him, so she would have to be taken care of her first.

The outfit they had given him was gaudy, but not uncomfortable, and it would be easy to work in it. Still, he felt like a fool in the bright colors, and tried to avoid being seen as he made his way outside, even though everyone else was wearing the same thing.

The morning air was crisp and the sky was clear and pale in the face of the rising sun. He guessed it would turn blue within an hour. Since the acolytes were at their work, and the Avatar was presumably in training, he decided to explore on his own. The island was a hilly, green paradise only a short distance from the smog and chaos of Republic city. He decided to climb to the peak of the little mountain that overlooked the various buildings. It only took him a quarter of an hour, but the sun had risen above the horizon, and he felt at peace gazing out across the water. The city skyline was silhouetted by the bright daylight, resembling a cluster of black geometric mountain peaks.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but his meditation ended suddenly with a broken shout and a dark object flying past him. It went by too fast and he was too occupied to see it in the air, but when it landed in a thick bush and let out a moan, he guessed who it was. He got up from his seat on a large boulder, and went to search for the Avatar.

She was tangled into a thicket with her hair in her face and scratches all over her bare arms. She was wearing the same orange and yellow as him.

"Korra?" he asked. "Are you alright?"

She tossed her head back to clear her eyes and looked up at him. Her face turned bright red. "Oh, hi Temur," she said. "Good morning."

With an involuntary smile, he bent over and offered her a hand up. Half the bush came with her, but she seemed no worse for wear. "How did you get up here?" he asked.

"Oh, Meelo got a bit extravagant with an air scooter," she said. "We're training just down the hill."

"What's an air scooter?" he asked. It would actually be useful to observe the airbenders in action. He had never had to face one and felt it was a severe flaw in his defense education.

Korra was picking stray leaves out of her hair and off her shirt and pants, but she seemed excited to explain it to him. "Oh, it's this amazing thing that airbenders can do to move around. They sort of form a ball of air and balance on top of it while it zips around." A very childish description, but he could comprehend the idea. "Do you want to join us?" asked Korra.

"In your training?" he asked. "Would Tenzin mind?"

Korra didn't look completely sure, but she said, "Oh, I don't think so. I mean, what harm could it do?"

"I could be a distraction," he said, offering up why he might mind if his training sessions were interrupted.

"No," she said. "Just don't talk or anything."

Again, and involuntary smile came to his face. "Alright."

They half walked, half slid down the side of the mountain to a small plateau where Tenzin and three children in orange and yellow were waiting. It was not what he expected. Three pairs of eyes stared right at him, all inexplicably energetic despite the early hour of the morning. The two girls were more reserved, but still wide-eyed and smiling. The boy, who was clearly the youngest, was the literal picture of a snot-nosed brat. He stared up at Amon like he was looking at a camelephant.

"Who're you?" asked the boy.

"Um…" said Amon, still staring a dribble of mucus coming out of his nose.

"This is Temur," said Korra. "He's a friend of mine."

"He's so old, though," said one of the girls, the younger of the two he guessed.

Korra cuffed her gently on the back of the head. "Sorry about her," she said. "These kids don't know how to keep their mouths shut sometimes."

"It's alright," said Amon. "I guess I am pretty old compared to all of you."

"You're not a real acolyte, are you?" asked the older girl.

"No," said Amon. "Not really."

"I thought so," said the girl. "You're skin is too tan to be from a neutral country. Are you a waterbender like Korra?"

"Hey, I'm the Avatar, remember?" said Korra.

Tenzin came to greet him. "Temur," he said. "I trust you slept alright. What are you doing up on the mountain?"

"I was meditating," he said. "Watching the sunrise when the Avatar almost fell on me."

"Well, that would be our fault," said Tenzin. "Specifically my son's. These are my children, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo." He pointed to all three in turn.

"Nice to meet all of you," said Amon. "Korra said I could watch you practice, but I want to make sure that's alright with you Tenzin."

"We're almost done for the morning," said Tenzin, "but you're welcome to sit in on our final few minutes."

Amon nodded and stepped back from the airbenders and the Avatar, hoping for a good show. The three children circled Korra and stood in a stance he was unfamiliar with. On Tenzin's word, the three of them moved in a fluid but forceful way and the Avatar flew into the air. She seemed to ride three separate waves of wind, spinning and soaring through the air like a leaf on the breeze. For the first half minute of the exercise, Korra flew higher and higher with each blast of air from the children. A broad grin broke out on her face, but the show of emotion seemed to distract her from her task, and all of a sudden she was falling.

It seemed that the ability to stay above the air currents was far more precarious than it looked at face value. Korra had been making it look easy until it wasn't. When she missed the correct alignment of her body in relation to the air, she slipped through the streams and plummeted. Luckily, Tenzin was there to create a little cushion of air, and she fell softly onto her buttocks. Her expression was not happy, and Amon couldn't help but smile.

"Ugh, I'm never going to get this!" she said. Tenzin helped her to her feet. "I thought I had it, and the second I did, it went away."

"Often, thinking too hard about it is a hindrance," said Tenzin. "But that was definitely the best you've ever done it Korra. Just remember that humans weren't meant to fly without some help. Otherwise, we wouldn't need our gliders."

She nodded and dusted herself off. "Let's go again."

The children blasted Korra into the air twice more, and both times were about as good and lasted about as long as the first time. Amon could understand the difficulty and was impressed, but the best part was when she landed with a heavy thud onto the ground. It was a satisfying sight.

Tenzin called it off once the sun was high in the now-blue sky. Korra was picking herself up from her most recent fall, still looking frustrated. Amon came over to speak with her, and her face lifted. It was such an odd sensation, knowing he brought on that smile.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"It was amazing," he said, putting on an air of someone far more enthusiastic. "I mean waterbending, earthbending, firebending are one thing, but you flew. It was great."

"Thanks," said Korra. Her sour look had returned. "I only wish I could actually airbend."

"So you weren't actually airbending at all?" asked Amon.

Tenzin came up behind them. "Korra is experiencing something very common in the history of the Avatar cycle," he said. "Our bending is closely related to our emotional state and our personality type, and with the Avatar, that personality could inherently contradict one type of bending. For my father it was earthbending. For Avatar Roku it was waterbending. And for you, it's airbending. We will find a solution."

"Yeah, you keep saying that," said Korra.

Tenzin frowned. "Because I mean it," he said. "Now, you and the children get cleaned up for breakfast. Temur and I will follow you down the mountain."

Korra glanced at Amon for a moment before running ahead with the children who were flying ahead on bursts of air. They must have been using the air scooter she had been talking about.

Amon turned to Tenzin, who was watching his student disappear down the mountainside. "She's been so worried lately it's interfering with her airbending even more," he said.

"I never realized the personality could be so linked to bending," said Amon. "So what was the purpose of the exercise?"

"To feel the flow of air and understand its natural movement and mechanics," he said. "She's actually doing quite well for someone who can't manipulate the air by herself. Jinora is an accomplished bender and she's only been able to last about ten seconds longer than Korra. She has the capability of the Avatar, she's just lacking her usual confidence, and I'm pretty sure it's because of this Amon character."

Amon kept his face from moving. "I can't blame her, having faced him myself," he said. "I feel like when he took away my bending, he took my sense of safety with it."

"Tell me more about the sensation," said Tenzin. "How are you going to teach Korra about your secret technique if you can't perform it?"

Amon repeated the description one of his earlier victims had given him: "Well, in terms of losing my bending, it's sort of like my body is trapped in a constant state of just waking up. My muscles are stiff and slow, my mind is slightly foggy. I don't know how to describe it better."

"Yes, blocking chi points is one thing, but it seems that Amon has learned out to sever chi paths completely," said Tenzin. "I don't know the exact effects, but it would certainly cause damage to both the body and the mind."

Amon was nodding, wondering how the airbender had guessed how his technique worked. Most people didn't know that chi paths even existed. "I was hoping Korra would be able to figure out how to reverse the effect," he said. Tenzin didn't respond, and his expression wasn't hopeful. "In terms of training her, well, I was sort of just going to reproduce the stuff my father taught me. Most of the movements are the same as typical waterbending, and a lot of it has to do with listening and feeling more than acting."

"It's a very interesting...skill," said Tenzin. "I can't believe Korra actually asked me before you two proceeded. Maybe she is growing up."

"I was already surprised by her age," said Amon. "For some reason I thought she was older."

Tenzin actually laughed. "If only," he said. "Let's hope she and the children listened to me about cleaning up."

In the dining room, Korra and the children didn't seem to have cleaned up at all. The little boy, Meelo was covered in what looked like ash and was climbing on top of Korra who was standing with one arm raised in the air. In her hand was a tiny, deep-fried fish. On the breakfast table, sat an empty plate stained with oil that Amon suspected had more fish on it before they arrived. The older girl, Jinora, whose hair was in complete disarray, was stretching up on her tiptoes to try and reach the fish in Korra's hand, and the middle child Ikki was swinging from the rafters, covered in dust and trying to snatch the fish from above.

Tenzin sighed and wiped a hand down his face. Amon felt a rumble of real laughter bubble up inside him, and when it came out, he barely recognized his own voice. Korra saw him laughing and caught the fever, bursting out into giggles as well. Ikki grabbed the fish out of the air and shoved it in her mouth without a second thought. The other two children dropped off Korra, and she fell to her seat at the table, still laughing.

Amon caught himself and took a deep breath. At the back of his mind, he tried to remember the last time he had laughed, but he couldn't remember. He and Tenzin took their seats, composure restored.

"How did you get through all of them so fast?" asked Tenzin. "I love fried penny fish."

"Well, Korra had three, then I had two and Ikki had two, and Meelo had five," said Jinora. "So if Meelo hadn't been a pig, we would have all had three and it would have been fair."

"Except for our guest, your mother, and me," said Tenzin. "Hopefully, you weren't in the mood for fish Temur."

"Not at all," said Amon. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fit of laughter, his loss of control. The sight had been comedic, he could concede that, but funnier things must have happened over the years, and he hadn't laughed at them.

They were all still settling in when the final member of the airbender family entered: a very pregnant mother. She was also wearing orange and yellow. Amon was starting to hate the combination.

"Temur, this is my wife Pema," said Tenzin.

The woman looked surprised to see a guest. "Sweetheart, who is this?" she asked.

"This is a friend of Korra's," said Tenzin.

"He's working with me on the whole equalist thing," said Korra.

"And what's this friend's name?" asked Pema with an easy smile.

Amon stood and bowed, as was polite. "My name's Temur," he said. "Pleased to meet you."

"Nice to meet you Temur," she said. She eased into her seat with Tenzin flying to her side to help her down. Amon took his seat again and looked over the gathering. He and Korra were the outsiders, but they felt very welcome. The children were already digging into their food, and Tenzin was focused on Pema, who was concerned with her huge stomach. Amon finally rested on Korra, who was staring at him and smiling. He was so shocked by her grin that his mouth fell open for a second before he realized how he must look. He gave her a quick grin before helping himself to the closest plate of cold noodles with vegetables.

The breakfast was one of the better things he had eaten in months. He overate for the first time in a long time, and was disappointed in himself, knowing he would not be able to train as rigorously as he was used to for a while. He mustn't let himself grow soft. Still, he could feel his stomach straining to contain all the food he had eaten and had to lean back to feel more comfortable.

"That was delicious," he said to no one in particular. The children were chattering away with Korra and their father, but Pema heard him.

"Glad you enjoyed it," she said. "Tell me about yourself, Temur."

"What would you like to know?" he asked.

"Where are you from, what do you do?" she asked. She had a smile on her face, but he guessed her questions were not as casual as she was letting on.

"Well, I lived in the city up until a few weeks ago," he said. "I was working in the aqueducts system as an engineer before…" he looked at Tenzin, who had turned his attention from his son to Amon.

"It's alright," he said. "You can tell her."

Pema looked at her husband with an exasperated expression. "Tell me what?" she asked.

"I was a prisoner of Amon," said Amon. "He took my bending away."

The children were all quiet, and he noticed Korra looking down at her plate. Her smile had disappeared, and she looked ashamed of herself. Pema's eyes were wide. He and Tenzin glanced at each other for a moment before one of the children piped up. It was Jinora.

"He can take people's bending away?" she asked. Her voice was filled with fear, and Amon relished the moment while keeping a solemn face.

He nodded. "He did it to me," he said. "So I'm helping Korra by giving her all the information I can."

Pema's mouth had formed a hard line before she ordered the children to leave. "I don't want you three hearing this," she said.

The boy looked like he wanted to argue, but the look on his mother's face wasn't one to question. The older girls took his hands and led him out of the room. "Will Amon come for our bending?" Ikki asked her sister in the hallway loud enough for them to hear. Amon had to grit his teeth to keep from grinning.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"It's alright," said Pema. "I just didn't think your situation was so serious."

"I think the children need to hear it," said Tenzin. "The world is out there waiting for them. They need to have some idea of what's going on."

"Meelo's only five Tenzin," said Pema. "And Ikki's already been having nightmares recently."

Korra was silent on the subject. She had huddled into herself, still looking at her plate with a dejected expression. Tenzin noticed. "Korra, it's alright."

"It's not," she said. "If I hadn't waited to join the task force we probably would have found Temur before Amon could take his bending." She looked right at Amon, and he finally understood why she was constantly grinning at him. She felt guilty and had to make sure that he liked her enough not to blame her. "I'm so sorry."

He could have easily absolved her guilt, but where was the fun in that? He faltered a bit with his words, and made sure that their eyes weren't truly making contact when he said, "It's fine. It's okay." Her head hung just a few centimeters lower, and he knew he was successful.

"So, are you really only here to give us information?" asked Pema. Again, her question had hidden layers. Of course a complete stranger wouldn't have moved in with them just to give Korra some information. Amon looked at Tenzin for approval. The airbender sighed and looked at his wife.

"Temur used to be a bloodbender," he said.

A look of horror crossed Pema's face. "Like your mother used to talk about?" she asked.

"Exactly," said Tenzin. "Temur's assured us that he never used his talent on anyone before, which I'm inclined to believe since most bloodbenders become notorious very quickly. When he was taken by the equalists, apparently Amon was frightened of his ability, so Korra is going to try and learn from him in the hopes of getting the upper hand in this fight."

"That's a very wise course of action," said Pema, looking Korra's way.

"Yeah," said Korra. She seemed to hit a second wind. "I want to start tonight. Even without the moon. If that's alright with you?"

Amon nodded. "It's what I'm here for," he said. They wouldn't make any progress on a night with just a sliver of a moon, but he could humor her. Her smile had returned, but it wasn't as carefree as before. He would make sure it was permanently gone by the end of the month.


	3. Chapter 3

3:

The Avatar returned from a pro-bending training session just after sunset. Amon had his eyes closed, meditating near the water, listening to the waves rush back and forth. The sound of her boat drifting to the dock was as obvious as if she had announced her arrival. When she came close enough, he could feel her heartbeat. Like the sea, her blood rushed back and forth in his ears as loud as anything.

Korra didn't say a word, choosing instead to sit and join his meditation. She got her heartbeat down to a slow pace, and he felt her calm seep into him. His reports back in the equalist base had said that she was a restless, distracted sort of girl, not very good at meditating. Either his intel was wrong, or she had really changed her outlook over the course of a few weeks. They sat in silence for a while until he was ready.

"How was your pro-bending?" he asked. His voice had dropped a few pitches out of disuse, and he cleared his throat to loosen it. If she managed to recognize his voice, it was all over.

"It was good," she said. "We're really starting to connect as a team."

"Maybe I'll come see your matches," he said. "I've never been to one before." He had never been a fan of sports competitions, and he found the bastardized bending used in the arena to be useless. In a real fight there were no rules that said he couldn't bend for more than two seconds, or whatever the ridiculous restriction was.

"The competition starts in a week," she said. She was smiling again, and he returned it.

"Should we get started?" he asked. She nodded and got to her feet, offering him a hand up, which he took to show good will. "Alright, is there a koi pond or anything like that around here? I know of one in the city if we have to resort to that."

"Koi pond?" she asked. "Um, yeah there's one outside the spirit shrine on the other side of the mountain."

"Good, let's head there," he said.

She led the way along one of the mountain trails. It was a dark night on Air Temple Island. There were no electric street lamps to light their way, and the moon was only a thin crescent of silver. Still, they made their way easily enough.

"So, are we going to bloodbend the fish?" she asked.

He chuckled. "If you can, I guess," he said. "For starters, we're going to listen. The key to bloodbending is listening and feeling the water inside everything. If you go back to the beginnings of bloodbending-the sort of thing Master Katara learned-it begins with looking for water in unexpected places. Whether it's in plants or human sweat or fish, it doesn't make a difference. What makes bloodbending so difficult is the fact that the water is saturated with so many other things that it's barely water anymore. But when we focus on the sound and the feeling that we get when bending regular water, it makes it easier to concentrate and bend the modified water."

"So why don't we start with the plants?" asked Korra.

"Because I think you'd already be able to bend the water out of plants," he said. "Am I right?"

Beside him in the dark, she stopped in her tracks. He could make out her fingers flexing. She closed her eyes for a moment, cutting out the moonlight reflecting in the whites of her eyes. Then in a spinning motion, she whipped up a few tendrils of water from nowhere. He could see the bushes surrounding the path wilt slightly.

"Good," he said. "Now, the fish will be a thousand times harder. We'll see if you can manage it without any work, but I doubt it."

"So what will we do with then?"

"We'll sit in silence and try to hear the fishes' hearts beating. The rush of blood inside them is the same as the rush of the waves. Once you can hear it and feel it, it'll become easier for you to manipulate it like a wave. Not easy, mind you, but easier."

They began walking again, and a long silence stretched between them. He could feel her heart beating louder than before, and he was sure it wasn't from the fatigue of walking. Was she nervous?

"So," she said. "You seem like a pretty good teacher for an aqueduct engineer."

He breathed a laugh and ran through his prepared explanation. "I've been thinking about a lesson plan all day," he said. "Lucky for me, you're so busy that I have time to think about it professionally. Plus a lot of it came from my father, who was the waterbending instructor in my village."

"Could he bloodbend?" she asked.

"Not like me," he said. He remembered his father for a moment and the feeling of bloodbending him. It had felt so good. "He could only manage it with the full moon."

Korra nodded. "In the back of my mind, I'm kinda hoping I can only do it then as well," she said. "I don't want to think what I might do if I could do it whenever. You're a much stronger person than I am."

"I'm also a much older person than you are," he said. "If I hadn't had my father stopping me when I was your age, I probably would have turned out bad."

"I don't think so," she said. She was smiling again, and Amon's smile came unbidden. He would have to get control of himself. He didn't want to make her feel better about letting him "lose" his bending, and he certainly didn't want to develop a familiarity with her.

They reached the koi pond in less than an hour, and it was the perfect sort of place for what he was intending. The pond was barely as wide as Korra was tall, and it was surrounded by soft green grass and flat stones as paving. In the water, half a dozen black, white, and orange koi fish floated peacefully. The spirit shrine was little more than a wooden box with a pointed straw roof set on top of it. Inside were two jars, one with a lid shaped like a crescent moon and the other a foaming ocean wave. There was also a little ceramic tray with a stalk of incense stuck in it.

"Would you light the incense?" he asked. It would make a good effect.

Korra knelt before the shrine and snapped her finger, generating a little flame, no bigger than a candle, on the tip of her thumb. She held it under the incense, and for a second, her face was fully illuminated. Her eyes were black in the red light. Then the fire disappeared, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of incense.

Amon sat beside the pool, and Korra followed his example. They crossed their legs, set their hands on their knees and relaxed. "Now, this is going to be boring," he said. "Especially for me, since I already know what I'm doing." A grin crept onto her shadowed face. "But, it's the foundation of bloodbending, and therefore the most important part. So try your best to be completely quiet. Start with your own heartbeat. Think of the rush of blood in and out of your veins. Then move on to me, and finally the fish."

Korra nodded. "What exactly will they sound like?" she asked.

He had never thought about it. To him, all he could hear was waves. "It's softer than a human heartbeat," he said. "But the rhythm is the same."

She didn't look satisfied by his answer, but nodded anyway and closed her eyes. He watched her for a while as they sat in silence. Her face was placid and blank, not concentrating or aware.

"This isn't meditation," he said. "You should be concentrating on the sound, not emptying your mind completely."

A huff of breath escaped her as if to say 'okay', and her expression changed into a slight frown of focus. She took a deep breath in and out before quieting herself. Her heartbeat steadied, and Amon closed his eyes to focus his attentions on her heartbeat.

It would have been the easiest thing for him to apply some pressure. He could squeeze her for a minute and killer her, or for a few seconds to have her pass out. He would wait and play the long game. His father had held the Avatar in his grip at one point, but his father had been a fool. Too weak to kill and too ignorant to know the proper time. Amon was more capable, and he knew better as well.

The Avatar State was the key. He had learned this fact from the old library in Ba Sing Sei. It was the time when the Avatar was strongest, but also the most vulnerable. If killed in the Avatar State, the cycle would break, and the Avatar would exist no more.

From all reports and information he had been able to gather, the current Avatar was unable to enter the Avatar State. She had been categorized as a bending Avatar rather than a spiritual Avatar, better equipped to fight than her predecessor, but less capable of making a spiritual connection to her Avatar self.

Amon would have to induce the Avatar State through emotional distress, a tactic he had formed after some research on Avatar Aang. Friendship and betrayal, a slow burning connection that he would sever like he severed chi paths-perhaps a tragic death of a friend-and she would feel pain like she never had before. Once she was in the Avatar State, he would reach out and crush her heart. It was a technique he had only used on animals so far, but he knew without human testing that he was a master.

An hour passed, and he focused on the movement of blood in the fish for a while, fearing he might jump the gun if he concentrated too hard on the Avatar. The tiny heartbeats were fast, fluttering things, and the movement of liquid through them was like tiny raindrops rather than waves. He thought he might interrupt her to tell her that. Rather than helping her, it would probably distract her enough to make the whole night a complete waste. He was about to speak when she made a soft sound.

"I can...feel it," she said. Her voice was no louder than a whisper, as if she was trying not to drown out the sound. Amon quickly closed his eyes and focused on the fish. It was easy for him to hear their heartbeats quickly. He could even single them out. One fish in particular had a faster heartbeat than the others. In fact, it was so fast that the fish woke and began to spasm in the water.

"Wait, stop!" said Amon, but it was too late. She was concentrating too hard on the sound she had heard, and she seized up as excitement took over. The thrashing fish became completely still. It floated to the surface of the water while its fellows woke and began swimming in chaotic circles.

Korra's eyes were wide, but she hadn't realized what she'd done yet. Amon got onto his knees and bent over the side of the pool. He couldn't keep the frown from his face, not because of the dead fish, but because her capabilities were clearly similar to his own.

"Did I do that?" she asked. She was on her knees beside him. "Oh no. No, I didn't mean to."

He reached into the pool and scooped up the dead fish with two hands and laid it on the side of the pool for her to see. "It's my fault," he said. "I never thought you'd be able to get it so soon and without the moon, so I had you concentrating on the loudest possible sound." As he said it, the terrifying thought that she might have seized his own heart reached him. He drove the idea away. It was one thing to stop a tiny fish heart. The human heart was far larger and more powerful.

Korra ran a gentle hand along the dead fish. "I'm sorry," she said. He wasn't sure if she was talking to the fish or to him. Her face was deflated, and Amon thought about how she was reacting. He could push her towards trauma.

"This is why I never use my bloodbending," he said. "Once I realized the implications, it scared me so bad, I stopped using it. Even on animals. Maybe this is good for a first lesson. Now you know the consequences."

She was still staring at the fish. "I didn't think it would be so easy," she said. "That's why I pushed it."

He hummed. "Clearly, you have the same sort of thing I have," he said. It was worrying. He would have to slow down their progress. "You are the Avatar, after all. And a waterbending Avatar. It's in your blood."

She looked up at him, and rather than fear or sadness, he saw determination. It was clear, even in darkness. "Can we do it again?" she asked. "What else should I concentrate on instead of the heart?"

"Let's try for the the movement of blood through some large artery," he said. "There's one on the way to the tail."

She nodded and settled into a seated position again, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Amon looked at her with narrowed eyes that he knew she couldn't see. He made sure his heartbeat was steady in case she was in tune with his heart, but the anger was hard to hide. He had thought he was the only person capable of full bloodbending mastery. Even his little brother, who shared their father's genetic lineage, was not as capable as he was. Now, the Avatar was turning out better than he had expected, possibly his equal. He would have to proceed carefully to keep her ability limited. Hopefully, this incident would serve to scare her more than encourage her.

He sat back and focused on her heartbeat, which, for a while, wasn't as steady as before. Then she calmed down and the beat slowed to a crawl. For a moment, he thought she had slipped into a meditative state, but a deep rumble sounded from the back of her throat, and he realized she had fallen asleep. He rolled his eyes, letting his face relax for the first time all day. Amon was staring at the Avatar, not Temur.

He stood over her and wondered what to do. Carry her back to the temple? Leave her to sleep outside? It wasn't warm enough for that. He shook her awake with a gentle hand. "Korra," he said. "Korra, wake up."

She hummed a whimpering sort of sound. "Five more minutes Dad," she said.

Amon's eyebrows cocked. He had never thought of how she viewed him besides as a victim of the equalists. Were his face and voice similar to those of her father? That could be a useful connection. "No, Korra," he said. "It's Temur. Your bloodbending teacher. You fell asleep."

She was still asleep despite his efforts. "Amon," she said. He was treading in dangerous waters; the subconscious mind could be far more intuitive than the conscious.

"Temur," he insisted in his highest natural sounding voice. He shook her again, a bit harder this time. "Korra."

Her eyes finally opened as she started to fall backwards. He caught her shoulder with one hand and held her in a sitting position. She yawned right in his face. "I'm sorry," she said. "I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"I'm betting that bit of bloodbending you did wore you out more than you know," he said. He offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet. "Let's get to bed."

They walked in silence back along the mountain path. A few times he was afraid that she might stumble in her tired state, but her feet kept moving. The temple had just come into view, when she stopped. He looked back to see a thousand-yard stare on her face, reflecting just a hint of the weak moonlight.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She blinked once and focused on him. "I was just wondering," she said. "Is it supposed to feel good?"

 _Interesting_. "Good?" he repeated. He paused to let the word sink it. "It should just feel like normal waterbending."

Had it ever felt like normal waterbending to him? No. Bloodbending was different. It required such concentration that the act seemed to cause exhilaration and pleasure. Not to mention there was the rush of knowing you were in control of another person's body. As soon as she said it, he began formulating a new idea: a backup plan of sorts. He could encourage the special feeling by claiming she alone experienced it. What road would that take her down? He was curious to find out.

She shrugged. "I guess it was just a new sensation," she said and continued walking. Amon followed a few paces behind, lost in thought.

They reached a diverging path between the main house and the acolytes' building. They stared at each other, trying to make eye contact in the darkness. "You did really well for the first day," he said. "Don't be discouraged by how it turned out. It was my fault."

She shook her head. "I don't blame you," she said. "It's powerful, but I now can see how precarious it can be as well."

He nodded approval. "That's a good way of looking at it," he said. "Good night."

"'Night," she said, turning towards the main house. Amon waited until she was out of sight to turn his back on her. His mind was racing with various thoughts concerning Korra, and the most prominent was screaming at him that they weren't so different after all.


	4. Chapter 4

4:

The Avatar arrived in the late afternoon with the two boys from her pro bending team and a girl: Mako, Bolin, and Asami Sato. Amon instantly recognized one of the boys as the earthbender Korra had rescued from his grasp during The Revelation. The other must have been the firebending component of their team. He was taller than his brother and more dignified in the way he carried himself, but Amon could recognize self-importance when he saw it. Asami, he recognized through her father, who was secretly an equalist. His plan for the Avatar had put his plotting with Hiroshi on hold for the month, but he hoped that the man had not informed his daughter of their connection yet. He could only assume that she wasn't familiar enough with him to recognize his voice.

Pema looked up from their game of Pai Sho. She had been an ever-present companion over the week that Amon had inhabited Air Temple Island. She seemed about as bored as he would have been stuck on an island all day with acolytes to wait on his every need. The airbender children would meet with their tutor in the afternoons, and he and Pema would play the game and talk about life.

Amon had invented a rich, made-up childhood to describe to her, and she talked about her past ambitions before having children. To hear her talk, he wondered why she wasn't an equalist. She couldn't bend, but he supposed her connection with the only known airbenders in the world was enough to overcome her own desires.

"Ah, the whole team is here," she said, setting her eyes back down on the board. Amon watched the teenagers progress from the dock.

"Hi Pema, Temur," called Korra. "I brought the gang over for dinner if that's alright."

"Of course," said Pema. "It's not as if I'm the one who's cooking," she added under her breath. Amon grinned.

The teenagers reached them and all the introductions were made. "Guys, this is Temur," said Korra. "He's a house guest. Temur this is Mako, Bolin, and Asami Sato."

He cocked his brow with false curiosity. "As in 'Satomobile'?" he asked.

Asami nodded and Korra rolled her eyes. So there was some tension between the two girls. He had to stop himself from becoming distracted by the possibilities in that sort of relationship.

"Nice to meet you," said Amon.

"Pai Sho," said Bolin. On his shoulder, a small red fire ferret, the mascot of their pro bending team, appeared. It chattered and climbed onto Bolin's lap, but was otherwise quiet. "Do you mind if I watch?"

"I didn't know you played," said Korra. They all settled down around the table to watch Pema and Amon play. Their little group was the picture of normality. A group of friends gathered around to watch a game. Amon wondered how fast things would change if he suddenly revealed who he was. Instead, he lifted a tile and set it down in an attack against his opponent. The boy, Bolin sucked in a breath, and Pema's brow furrowed in frustration.

"Yeah, Bolin's actually pretty good," said Mako. "Better than I've ever been."

Bolin hushed him. "Let her concentrate," he said. "This guy's good."

Amon grinned at the young man in a playful way very different from the usual seriousness he projected as Amon. "This one's an expert," he said to Pema, who flashed him a dark look.

"So, how do you know the airbenders?" asked Asami. Amon looked at Korra for guidance, and she seemed to have already come up with a story.

"Well, he's actually here for me," she said. The look of shame came back to her face, and Amon wondered if she was going to tell them everything. How many people would discover he was a bloodbender by the end of this?

"Temur was captured by Amon," said Korra. The smiles on her friends faces fell. "He took his waterbending away."

Bolin looked him in the eye, probably remembering his experience on stage at The Revelation. Amon held his gaze for a second before looking down at the Pai Sho table.

Korra continued. "I've asked him to stay here a while, so I can try to figure out how to reverse Amon's ability."

So they were going with that story. Amon quickly came up with a few anecdotes to do with possible experimentation the Avatar could have tried on him. None of the teenagers seemed very curious about that. They were more interested in Amon.

"He caught, me too," said Bolin. "But Korra and Mako saved me. Did it hurt? I've been wondering ever since, and I keep having nightmares about it."

"Bolin, shut up," said Mako. "Don't make him relive it."

"It's alright," said Amon. "It didn't hurt, but it hasn't helped. Just be glad he didn't get you, or else Korra would be using you as her lab elephant rat." He grinned at Korra and winked. She managed a weak grin but averted her eyes as soon as possible. He had been slowly increasing the frequencies of his smiles and laughs as any normal person would as they got used to a new situation and new people. He was starting to feel like one of the family, but Korra's shame was ever-present, and it prevented her from accepting the fact that he might be happy. It was a good relationship for his purposes.

"What does it feel like, if you don't mind me asking?" asked Asami.

"It feels like my body is always stiff," he said. "Like I'm in a constant fog of sleepiness."

He hadn't told Korra what it felt like yet, and she looked at him with eyes full of pity. He would have been annoyed by that if he were actually incapable of bending. Pity did nothing for him.

Pema sat up a bit straighter to reach for her tile. It seemed she hadn't been listening to their conversation at all and had just come up with her next move. It was a deft counter to his previous attack that simultaneously defended her position as well as putting him at risk. He cursed under his breath and turned his attention back to the game.

Korra, Mako, and Asami talked about seeing the airbending children, whom Asami had yet to meet. They left, leaving Bolin, who was absorbed by their game. Pema seemed pleased with herself, but after five-minutes of strategizing, Amon decided on a move that would end the game in his favor no matter what. Pema was so surprised, she sat back and began rubbing her temples. She would realize it was over in a matter of second. Bolin seemed to not understand right away.

Amon grinned at him. "Just wait a second," he said. "I'll explain in a moment."

While Pema grasped at the last threads of her strategy and Bolin tried to comprehend what was going on, Amon took the brief moment to relish the normalcy of the day. It had been years since he sat back and relaxed so much, and he had never had such a good game of Pai Sho. Of all the equalists, his lieutenant was the best player, and he was nothing compared to Pema.

Finally, she realized that she had lost, and flipped over the concession tile.

"What just happened?" asked Bolin. Amon didn't have to explain his move, as Pema went on in detail about how no matter what course of action she chose, she had no hope of beating him anymore. They had reached a point of no return, so there was no reason to continue.

"I have to say though," said Amon. "I haven't had such a good game of Pai Sho in my life." He held out his hand to shake Pema's. "Victory is only so sweet as the pain it took to achieve it."

"Is that a proverb?" asked Bolin.

"No," he said. "It's a 'Temurism'." He was really pleased with himself.

Pema's expression was still sour, but she took her loss in good humor. "Tomorrow's another chance for me to beat you." She got to her feet. "I should go make sure the acolytes know we have guests."

Amon and Bolin were alone together, and the boy suggested they find the Avatar and company. They set off together around the temple with an awkward silence hanging between them. Then the fire ferret jumped from Bolin's shoulders to Amon's and began chattering and hissing. Amon tried to scratch its head, but it hissed again and jumped back to its master. He chuckled. "He doesn't like me, I guess."

"Pabu's always nervous around strangers," said Bolin, petting the animals head.

"So, you were taken by Amon as well?" asked Amon.

"Yeah," said Bolin. "On the night he first revealed he could take bending away. I was so afraid, I could barely lift my arms to defend myself, even when they told me to."

"If your friends hadn't saved you, how would you have fought him?" asked Amon. He was curious to see how the boy would have acted.

"Well, the biggest thing was the lack of earth," said Bolin. "Amon might have wanted to show his people a fair fight, but I had nothing to bend, since I'm not a metalbender. Super underhanded. So I guess I would have just tried to keep dodging him until he caught me. He seemed much faster than me."

Amon had no doubt he was faster than this boy, but most earthbenders were slow and solid. It was a natural movement, considering their element. "If you had earth?" he asked.

Bolin hummed. "I guess if I had earth, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have tried to fight him at all," he said. "I can form a pretty thick earth shell around myself, and if the entire ground was just pure earth, maybe I would have just burrowed out of there." He grinned and scratched the back of his head. "I never would have been able to come up with all that in the moment though. Which I guess Amon was probably counting on with all of us."

"That's the difference between a master Pai Sho player and a good one," said Amon. He was starting to like this kid, and in the back of his mind, in some unacknowledged place, he was glad that he had not been able to taken Bolin's bending.

"So, how did Amon take your bending?" asked Bolin.

Amon sighed and told a sob story. "They didn't take mine on stage in front of a crowd," he said. "They deprived me of water for days until I was too weak to bend, and then did it."

The boy huffed. "That Amon's a huge liar," he said. "Fair fight." He blew a raspberry.

"Well, I agree with you that I don't think Amon's intentions are as pure as equality," said Amon, knowing full well that his intentions were not equality. "Anyway, hopefully, Korra will be able to figure out how to reverse this so it doesn't matter what Amon does."

They found the rest of the group with the airbender children in the solarium. They were through with their lessons for the day, whether they were complete or not. Their unfortunate tutor looked windswept and weepy. Papers were scattered everywhere, and no one was helping him pick up his things.

"Avatar Korra, would you mind telling Tenzin and Pema that I'll be back from my vacation in a week?" he asked. His voice was deflated even at the thought of a break.

Meelo was clinging to Korra like a monkey in a tree, distracting everyone from the tutor's plea, so he rolled his eyes and left before anyone could notice. When the little boy caught sight of Amon in the solarium he clambered down from Korra and fell silent. He was still uncomfortable around the newcomer. Amon found it amusing that the boy was the only one who seemed to have the right intuition about him.

"Guys, I was wondering if you'd mind showing my friends some real airbending?" asked Korra. "None of them have ever seen it before."

Meelo cheered up and jumped into the air with a spin that sent him halfway to the ceiling. Bolin let out a soft "Woah!" and Asami laughed. Mako gave the kid a cool smile. Amon rolled his eyes and followed the group out the door.

The children led the way, followed by Bolin, then Asami and Mako who started holding hands, then Korra, and Amon hanging back like a shadow. The Avatar's heart started beating faster, and he cocked his head. Then she crossed her arms, and Amon realized that she was jealous. She must have liked the firebender. He would have laughed if he hadn't caught himself. She kept presenting him with easy points to exploit, but first he had to take care of something.

He touched Korra's shoulder with a single finger, and she hung back from the group to walk with him. "If your friends are here, we should hold off for the night," he said. "I wouldn't want them finding out what we've been doing."

"They'll be gone by midnight," she said. "Do you mind staying up a bit later than usual?"

He smirked. "You're the one who keeps falling asleep."

She beamed. In their private moments, she was always smiling, even through the shame. Their progress had been faster that he had ever expected. With her natural talent and his expertise, she was already bloodbending consistently, and the moon was only a waxing crescent. Contrary to his initial plan, he was encouraging her rather than hindering her progress. This change was motivated by her growing appetite to feel the power. Soon it would match his own. They were the same, and he was starting to like it.

He was about to conduct a lesson without her knowing it: her first test. They were making their way down a slope on slippery, flat paving stones. It was the perfect place for an accident, and one was about to befall the Sato girl. With an imperceptible twitch of his finger, he bloodbent her calf muscle, and Asami went tumbling.

Mako caught her under her armpits with the reflexes of an athlete and set her back on her feet. They shared a quick giggle, and then, as if Amon had planned it, Mako pecked Asami on the cheek.

He could feel the flutter of Korra's heart and smiled. She was angry. Luckily, the couple were blocking the path, stopping Korra in her tracks and giving her the opportunity to concentrate. Amon stood back to watch his work unfold. As soon as Mako took the next step, his entire leg gave way, and he had no one to stop his fall. He bowled into his brother and they both rolled down the path into the backs of the airbender children. Amon, Korra, and Asami stood at the top of the slope, watching the tangled mess.

"Maybe we should be careful going down this way," said Asami.

Korra rushed ahead to help the children, who were being crushed by the older boys. A look of genuine concern came over her face, mixed with the usual shame. Amon made up his face into a frown of disapproval before she looked at him. The effect was instant. She knew that he knew what she had done. She helped Bolin and Jinora to stand and refused to make eye contact with him.

The airbending demonstration was quick, as Pema called them for dinner within minutes of the first air scooter. Korra purposely let them all go ahead without her, and Temur hung back as well. He crossed his arms and stared at her, maintaining his frown.

"Look, I'm sorry," she said. "I don't know what came over me."

"We're done," he said. He wanted to see how she would react when he tried to take away her high. "This may have started as your proposal, but I'm the teacher, and I don't like what I just saw."

"No, Temur, please," she said. Her eyes were wide with anxiousness. "I swear it won't happen again. I just got upset."

"At what?" he asked.

Her face turned red, and she looked away. "At...um."

"Your friend and the Sato girl?" he asked. Her eyes locked on him again, and he shrugged. "I'm not blind."

"I promise it was just a mistake," she said. "Just a slip up. You never made a mistake with it?"

His frown did not waver. "I haven't," he said. "It's one of the reasons you and Tenzin have trusted me to teach you."

She was in a panic but managed to take a deep breath and settle herself. "What do I have to do to prove myself?" she asked.

He cocked his head. "I don't know, Korra," he said. "I've been worried about your attitude towards it. You seem to enjoy it too much. Maybe we should talk to Tenzin."

"No!" she said. "He'll put an end to it right away. I just need more guidance."

He could provide guidance, though it might not be in the direction she was hoping for. He could feel the thud of her heartbeat like it was the beat of a catchy new tune that he knew would be stuck in his head all night.


	5. Chapter 5

5:

Amon made his excuses to be alone on the day of Korra's pro bending semifinal match. He wanted to watch the competition in private without any of them knowing. During the day, the Avatar was preparing for the competition, and he was reassuming his real identity. He wanted to be Amon for this meeting.

In the depths of the city, he found his private bunker untouched. Literally no one knew about his little hidey-hole. It was covered by a facade of ruin and poverty, but all he had to do was pull aside a heavy sheet of perforated metal to reveal a door that led into his own little den. He had furnished it comfortably and was there often enough to make sure it was always clean. In the kitchenette he kept only dried, packaged foods so as not to entice the vermin. Otherwise there was a bed that was little more than a cot and desk with a mirror attached. Jars of paint were ordered in front of the mirror waiting for him along with the mask. He smiled at the sight of it and got to work.

Two weeks out of practice, it took him a little longer than usual to apply his burn scar, but in the end it looked as good as ever. He would have smiled, but that usually ruined the paint. He slicked his hair back and tied the mask on, revelling at his reflection in the mirror. The rhetoric he spewed to his followers might have all been lies, but this was his true face.

He got rid of his streetwear, having left the airbender outfit back on the island, and donned his usual clothes. The fabric was soft and cool, and the armor on the outside was comfortable and light. He felt like his old self again and allowed himself a hint of a smile that was hidden behind the mask.

The bunker's exit was not the same as its entrance, and he had to make his way down a long, dark tunnel that was one of many, forming a labyrinth under the city. The walk took him a good half an hour, but it gave him time to think about his hopes for the evening.

The Avatar would begin to break tonight, though she didn't know it yet. She would go against everything she stood for in the hopes of winning the match and salvaging her relationships with her friends. The Sato girl had proved to be a valuable asset in corrupting Korra's good will and cheerfulness.

Korra was really infatuated with the firebender, whose attentions were all directed at Asami. Then, Bolin turned out to have feelings for the Avatar. He had asked her out on a date, which Korra hadn't seen as a date. The next night during their quarterfinal match, Mako and Korra had shared their feelings and kissed. This kiss was witnessed by Bolin, leading to even further chaos. All of this, Korra had confessed to Pema, but he had been listening in. If he didn't know any better, Amon would have thought it was a script written for one of those radio dramas. He didn't know how the team would fight tonight, but he knew tensions were high. It was the perfect powderkeg to force some bloodbending out of her, and he would do his best to spark the flame that set it off.

The tunnel ended in the bullpen of an equalist base, where his followers had set up an elaborate spy network that had ears all over the city. He opened the door and half a hundred faces looked up to see him. A wave of silence washed over the equalists. He shut the door behind him, locking it permanently, and looked them over. Eyes were wide and jaws were dropped. He loved it.

"Amon, sir!" said one of the higher ranking members. He couldn't recognize who it was, but their uniforms had subtle lines stitched on the arms to signify captains and sergeants. He nodded to the man. "Welcome back. Should I inform the lieutenant of your arrival?"

"Yes," said Amon. He was using his full, deep voice and affected manner of speech. It felt more natural than the easy-going tones of Temur. "Tell him I need to speak with him briefly."

The captain nodded and ran off. Amon felt it necessary to address his followers, who had not seen him in two and a half weeks now. "Brothers and sisters," he began. "I realize that my prolonged absence must have been discouraging to some of you, but you should know that my tireless efforts have led me to a position that have made our victory even closer than we could have imagined at this point."

They cheered, and he raised a hand to settle them. The silence fell again in an instant. "I encourage you to work harder than ever before, and soon we shall make ourselves known and conquer this city and its benders."

He let them cheer and made his way through the bullpen to the far end of the room where the lieutenant had just entered. The man, with his long mustachios and slim frame, was easy to recognize, unlike the rest of them. Amon walked up to him and continued past him, knowing the lieutenant would follow. The lieutenant fell into step with his leader and waited for him to speak.

"Full report," ordered Amon.

"We've captured twenty-five more gang members since you've been gone. They're awaiting you. Other than that, our production schedule with Sato has been on the track you set. We have two dozen mech-tanks ready, a fleet of cars, planes, and war zeppelins. The sea mines are in place and ready to be activated. The conquest of Republic City should go smoothly with or without the Avatar."

"Without," said Amon. He paused, and the lieutenant was forced to stop short, almost falling forward in his attempt to keep in line with Amon. "Do you doubt that I've been successful in my mission, Lieutenant?"

"N-no," he said. "Not at all Amon. It's just you're back already and the Avatar isn't dead."

"No," said Amon. He continued walking, and the lieutenant followed. "She's not dead yet. I told you a month was necessary, didn't I?" The lieutenant nodded. "You're preparations are good. I'll cleanse our guests, and then I have more business to attend to. The pro bending finals are in four days. Release the recorded message we prepared tonight after the semifinals are over, and get a team in place to raid the arena. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Amon," said the Lieutenant. He bowed. "The prisoners are in block D."

Amon nodded, and this time when he walked ahead the lieutenant didn't follow. Block D was in the deepest level of this base, and it took him a while to make his way down. The conditions were filthy, and the lights were dim, but he could see just fine. The prisoners were shackled and would only be released once their bending was removed. He went to work.

Severing the chi paths was even more delicate than dealing with the heart. It required more precision and a gentler touch. If he had to do twenty-five at once, he would have to take a break afterwards. Luckily, he gave himself plenty of time to get to the pro bending arena.

They begged him, cursed him, spat at him, kept quiet, and screamed, but one-by-one, they lost their bending. Not for some higher ideal of equality, but for the sake of his own power and pleasure. When he was done, he informed the guards to blindfold and release them in the the city center, right outside the police department.

His office was much like his bunker, but without a bed, so he reclined on the couch and fell asleep for a quarter of an hour. The sun was beginning to set, and he had to leave to catch the match. He traveled in the back of a blacked out car with a low ranking equalist driving. It was a young woman, and he told her to pick him up at the main harbor at two hours past midnight. The girl nodded, and by her size and visible skin, he guessed that she was not much older than the Avatar. Not even a fraction as useful though.

He stuck to the long shadows cast between the columns of the arena and climbed to the peak of the building. The roof was made of glass, but it was frosted and light was everywhere below his feet. He doubted he would be seen, and even if he was, they would never be able to tell it was a man.

He slid down to the opposite side of the building to a balcony he knew was there. It was so close to the start of the match that no one was around to see him. They were all inside, waiting for the spectacle to begin. It was easy to sneak around unnoticed and find a way into the seats above the nosebleeds. No one was there, and no one would notice him. He stayed out of the light, just in case.

The Avatar's team went first, and he leaned forward in his seat to watch. The three teenagers stepped out to the roar of the crowd, donning their new red uniforms provided by Sato, who was trying to keep a low profile by supporting benders. Their opponents came out in green. The referee raised his hand, the announcer called out the team names, and the match began.

The Fire Ferrets, Korra, Bolin and Mako, were fighting poorly by any standard. It was by some miracle that they weren't all knocked out in the first round. Clearly things were worse between the teammates than he had expected.

Korra ran into Mako, both of them trying to attack the same opponent, while leaving the third unguarded. Both got knocked into the second zone, then the third. Bolin managed to hold his own, but the opposing team won the first round. Amon shook his head, disappointed in his student and her friends.

The second round was even more interesting and poorly fought, though this time, the opposing team had a bit of help from Amon. He bloodbent Mako slightly to get him in his brother's way and then he had Bolin slip a bit on some stray water from Korra. Anger was building in the firebender, who let out a blast of fire. The round ended in the penalty box with Bolin taking down the opposing earthbender.

The final round began with more misfortune for the Fire Ferrets, but this time, Amon had nothing to do with it. The two brothers were getting in their own way, Bolin taking a hard hit from an earth disk, and Mako getting distracted. Both were knocked out, leaving the Avatar alone to defend herself.

To her credit, she put up a good fight. Her waterbending technique was perfect, and coupled with the quick pro bending training she had been going through, as well as her innate ferocity, she managed to push back the other team a good distance. What happened next was only clear to Amon and the Avatar.

She made no sign of it besides a clenched hand, and that could have been a part of a waterbending move. It only lasted a fraction of a second, but in that moment, the three opposing players all stood perfectly straight and fell into a general line with one another. Then a sharp, but legal jet of water rammed into the first, who knocked into the second, who knocked into the third, sending all three tumbling into the pool below. The Fire Ferrets were victorious, and Mako and Bolin greeted Korra with cheers and hugs. All three seemed to have forgotten the past few days.

Amon smiled beneath his mask. He had been right; he was closer to victory than ever before, though not in the way he had initially planned. He barely noticed the second semifinal, except to take in the face that clearly the Wolfbats had bribed the referee. They won in a first round knockout, but Amon was already on his way out of the arena and only heard the victory over the speakers.

Before the team could make it back to their lockers, he snuck in and took the Avatar's bag. It had a change of clothes and her hair bands, but not much else. She would need it though. He set it down in one of the training rooms, where he found a dark place to hide and waited for something that he could only hope would happen. Perhaps she would be so distracted by her victory that she wouldn't notice her missing things, or maybe she wouldn't come alone.

Amon was lucky that night: she appeared after a while, alone and in searching for her bag. A long shadow stretched along the floor as the light from the hall flooded in behind her. To his delight, she closed the doors behind her and lit one of the sconces on the walls with a blast of fire that lit half the room. She saw the bag and sat down beside it with a heavy sigh. He would have to make his presence known soon before she tuned into her bloodbending talent and felt his heartbeat.

"Congratulations, young Avatar," he said with Amon's real voice. "You fought...well."

The girl twisted in place and looked for him in the shadows, but he had already moved, silent and quick. "Who's there?" she asked.

"I'm disappointed," he said. "Has it been so long that you already don't recognize my voice? I had hoped it would haunt your dreams."

"Amon!" she shouted. A blaze of fire hit the spot in the shadows where he had been standing only moments before.

"Yes, Avatar," he said. "I came to see your match. It was hard fought. Especially given you and your friends didn't seem to be on the same level today."

She was taking heavy breaths through her nostrils and her heart was racing, but she would calm down soon enough and try to bloodbend him. He was practiced enough to resist it, but didn't want to reveal himself. He moved to the window without a sound. He had opened it in preparation for an escape before she entered the room.

"But you and I both know that tonight's fight wasn't exactly 'by the rules'." Korra spun to look at him, and this time he didn't move. He was still shrouded in darkness, but his white mask would reflect the light well. "Even I wouldn't have guessed the lengths you were willing to go to," he said. "And they call me a monster."

That was enough teasing. Without looking back, he dropped out of the window and landed on his feet on the balcony below. A blast of fire erupted from the window above, and he breathed a sigh of relief that he was not caught by it. Without a second though, he lept into the water surrounding the arena unseen and made sure the ripples disappeared before the Avatar could see them.

Underwater, he zipped to Air Temple Island, shedding Amon's mask and clothes under a distinctive rock near the shore that he would be able to find again. Then he washed away his scar in the salt water before making his way to the far side of the island, away from the temple and buildings. He wicked away the water from his body, and sat under a jutting shelf of rock in a meditative pose in his underclothes. He had told Pema he would be there all day, so if the Avatar were to come looking for him, which he knew she would, she would find him there.

He only had to wait an hour before the sounds of trudging footsteps rang in his ears. Through slits in his eyes, he saw her crest a ridge in the mountain and come into view. A defeated melancholy had taken over her face. He fully opened his eyes, despite his meditation cover story.

"Korra," he said in Temur's high voice. "How did the match go?" He let his face drop in reaction to her expression. "You lost?"

"No," she said. "We won." She sat down in front of him with a heavy sigh. "Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

He looked down at his white undershirt and boxer shorts. He had some airbender clothes hidden away behind him, but the cold was bracing. "Just an exercise," he said. "The chill reminds me of home too."

She nodded, still looking upset. "So if you won, what's wrong?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't think I should continue learning bloodbending," she said.

He put on a frown. "You used it tonight?" he asked.

She nodded. "To win."

Amon let out a hum and kept quiet for an extended period before saying. "Whatever you want."

She perked up. "You're not mad at me?" she asked.

"You're the Avatar," he said. "Who am I to question your judgement? Just a nobody who can't even waterbend anymore."

"But last time you were all ready to dump me," she said.

"Yes, but last time, you didn't seem remorseful at all," he said. "Now, it's been a week and you already seem to realize the gravity of what you can do. It shows growth. And good judgement."

She smiled for the first time, though she didn't look at him. "I saw Amon tonight," she said.

His eyes narrowed in false anger. "Where?" he asked.

"He was watching the match," said Korra. "I don't understand how he keeps sneaking by unnoticed like this, but he came to find me as I was winding down in the arena." She huddled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "He called me a monster."

Amon went through the act of hesitation before clasping his hand onto her shoulder as a comfort. "And you're going to take his word for it?" he asked. "You're not a monster. You're powerful. Don't try to hide it. All you have to do is decide how to use it." He let her go, and her smile was a little bit stronger.

"How do I use the ability to control other people's bodies?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe you only use it for this one fight. But you're the Avatar. There will be many more to come. You could have the easiest time of any of your predecessors, but it's your choice to make. So do you want to continue to learn?"

She was staring at him with wide eyes that reflected the light of the half moon, but she didn't say a word. He could hear her heartbeating as fast as a hummingbird's wings. What would she decide? Continue, and take another step towards him, towards the real Amon. Or go back to the pathetic, incapable weakling she was at the beginning of their month together.

"Let's do it," she said. "You're not too tired to work are you?"

He grinned. "No. I was waiting for you anyway."

They worked for an hour on one of the islands many flying ring tailed lemurs. They were more complex and therefore more difficult than fish, but she got the hang of them just as fast. She forced one to bob up and down in the air over and over. It's chattering and screeching brought a look of pain to her face, but she kept going. It wasn't as impressive as lining up three benders in the heat of battle, but he didn't want her getting too ahead of herself.

At the end of their training session, he asked to be left alone to meditate again. She thanked him before setting off across the island, and Amon waited a quarter of an hour before getting to his feet again.

He retrieved his clothes from their hiding place and walked back to the city beneath the bay. His makeup was gone, but that was what the mask was for after all. He emerged from the water unseen and dried himself off before waiting in the shadows of the harbor for his ride. The equalist girl arrived exactly when he had told her to.

"Take me to the Rose Quarter," he said.

She twisted back to look at him. "Sir, are you sure?" she asked. The Rose Quarter was a notoriously bad part of town. Behind his mask, he cocked his brow.

"Are you questioning me?" he asked in his deepest tone. The girl didn't answer, and put the car in gear. In the middle of the night, the roads were clear, and it only took a few minutes to cross town. She stopped in the middle of nowhere. All of the windows on the surrounding buildings were boarded up, and every streetlight was out. He got out of the car and leaned into the passenger window. "Do not tell anyone where you've taken me. Understood?"

She nodded frantically. "Yes, sir," she said. The second he leaned away from the car, she peeled away. He watched the car turn the corner before walking a few blocks to the perforated metal sheet and his hideaway.

Inside, he removed his mask and his equalist clothes with a relieved sigh. He would need to come back to this place soon to don Amon again before the pro-bending finals, but the success of the day outweighed his exasperation. He made his way out of the tunnels and back to Air Temple Island as Temur. They would find him in his bed tomorrow as usual, without a single suspicion that their enemy was in their midst.


	6. Chapter 6

6:

 _Tonight is not our fight, Korra_. Chief Beifong was already launching the girl up at his zeppelin. She would be close enough to bloodbend if she could land. None of his followers could handle her, so he decided to act himself. With a swing, he launched himself through the air, knowing that the Lieutenant would know to catch him.

He was rushing towards the Avatar, and she was shooting straight towards him. He reached out and felt her heartbeat. She was calm, which meant she was feeling for him. He tried to induce a sense of fear in himself to encourage her training before quickly knocking her back towards the arena. The police chief caught her before she could crash, and the lieutenant swung around to catch him.

"Thank you, lieutenant," he said as they were hoisted up into the zeppelin. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself and then made his way to the bridge. "To the airfield as fast as possible," he told the engineer at the wheel. "I need to be somewhere."

The engineer picked up the pace instantly, but the lieutenant wasn't going to let him be without questions. "Are you leaving us again, Amon?" he asked.

"We've sent them a sufficient message for the time being," he said. "The next time we act will be the final blow, which requires me taking out the Avatar."

"What do we do during the interim?" asked the Lieutenant.

"I've left a notebook of detailed instructions on your desk," he said. "It will be more than enough to satisfy your curiosity."

The lieutenant wanted to say more, but he held his tongue. Amon sat in the captain's seat and shut his eyes for a moment. He had succeeded in taking the Wolfbats' bending, defeated the police with his new shock gloves, and managed to set Korra off even more. All was going as well as he could hope for in a plan without clear steps or directions. His initial goal seemed far easier, but this new one was far more interesting.

They were just past the city limits, and Amon called for a rope to be lowered. They were just above the Rose District, and it would be faster to make his way back to Air Temple Island from there instead of coming all the way from the air base in the mountains.

"Read the notebook," he told his lieutenant from the loading dock. "Follow it to the 'T'."

"Yes, Amon," said the lieutenant, bowing his head. "When will you be back?"

"On the full moon," he said. "Finish the preparations, and I'll meet you at the rally location. We will announce our victory from there."

The lieutenant bowed his head again, and Amon slid down the rope with ease, landing on the roof of a dilapidated building. He watched the airship drift out of sight before descending into the depths of the Rose District.

Half an hour later, he was drying himself off on Air Temple Island, making his way towards the main house. It seemed the Avatar and Tenzin had yet to return from the commotion at the pro bending arena, and he had not been missed. Pema was sitting with a book and the remnants of a meal, reading and nibbling. He made a show of rushing in with a shocked expression.

"You missed dinner," she said, unperturbed.

"The radio!" he said. "The pro bending match was attacked."

Pema slapped her book shut. "Tenzin and Korra?" she asked. "The other children?"

"I don't know," he said. If his calculations were correct, the radio would have just announced the news. "I only just heard. The broadcast was interrupted by the equalists, but they said Amon took away the winning team's bending."

Pema tried to get to her feet, but was struggling with her large stomach. Amon lifted her from under her armpits and set her on her feet. "For once, I hope they lost," she said as they rushed out of the room.

The White Lotus had a station set up outside of the main cluster of buildings. Five of them were gathered around the radio, staring with wide, horrified eyes. They looked up at Pema and Amon's approach.

"What's happening?" asked Pema. She pushed through them to hear better:

" _While the Fire Ferrets stewed in the pool, Amon himself took the stage and performed his mysterious technique to remove the Wolfbats' bending. Our reporter was caught up in the chaos, but has confirmed that the equalists all escaped in a fleet of zeppelins. Besides the Wolfbats, no one's bending was taken permanently, which we can all be thankful for. In a statement from Councilman Tarrlok's office, new measures will be put in place soon to reduce the equalist threat, but more word on that tomorrow morning from the Councilman himself. He will be holding a press conference on the steps of City Hall at 10 AM. Now a brief message from our sponsors with more news to follow…_ "

"They're alright," said Pema. "Good." She pressed her hand to her forehead and began to sway. Amon was closest and caught her before she could fall.

"Let's get you back to the house," he said. He nodded to the White Lotus guards, and led Pema up to the dining room again. Food and water were the best things for a faint, pregnant woman. He eased her into a seat.

"Everything's going to be alright," she told herself. "Amon can't win."

Amon smiled. "As long as we have Korra."

"I feel so bad for her," she said. "For all the Avatars, I suppose."

"It's a necessary sacrifice," he said. "I'm sure if she had the choice, Korra would still choose to be the Avatar, even with all that's going on in her life."

Pema nodded. "I hope they get back here soon."

Soon was an hour, during which time he and Pema sat in near silence, picking at food and waiting for good news. Tenzin was the first to rush in, and he fell to his wife's side and embraced her.

"Tenzin!" she said. "You're alright."

"Of course I am," he said.

The Avatar entered next with a sour look on her face, followed by Chief Beifong, and bringing up the rear was a familiar, yet unfamiliar face: Councilman Tarrlok, who also happened to be his younger brother. Even as trained as he was, Amon couldn't keep the look of shock from passing over his face for a moment. It was only noticed by Tarrlok, who managed to keep a straight face after a brief moment of surprise. Did he recognize his brother after all these years?

"You heard?" asked Korra.

"Um, yes," said Amon. He stood. "We were listening with the White Lotus. You're the Councilman right?"

Tarrlok nodded, but seemed unable to speak. He stared into his brother's eyes with an unblinking gaze.

"Yeah, this is Tarrlok," said Korra. "He wants to discuss something with me and Tenzin."

"I'm sorry," interrupted Tarrlok, "but who are you?"

"Sorry," said Amon. He held out a hand for Tarrlok to shake. It was the first time in over twenty years that he'd made contact with his brother. "I'm Temur. I'm an air acolyte."

"You…looked familiar for a second," said Tarrlok. Amon could feel his brother's heart racing, and made sure that his own was steady. Tarrlok was a bloodbender as well and would notice revealing shifts in heartbeats.

"Have we met?" asked Amon. "I would have remembered meeting a council member."

"No," said Tarrlok, suddenly certain. "You just look like someone I used to know. Nice to meet you."

Amon nodded, and sat beside Pema again. Korra took a seat beside him, and Tarrlok sat across the table from them, an outsider among friends.

"I plan to impose a curfew and a ban on all equalist rallies," said Tarrlok. "I'd like to have the Avatar's support, as well as some help from a fellow Councilman."

"Absolutely not," said Tenzin. "A curfew would only serve to exacerbate the situation."

"And a ban is just a waste of police resources," said Beifong. She seemed completely depressed, though Amon couldn't say why.

"Since your resignation, those things shouldn't concern you Lin," said Tarrlok. Amon felt the urge to smack his haughty brother in the back of the head. When had he turned into a brat? "These precautions will go into effect tomorrow, with or without you. I only hoped we could work together for once."

"Then go ahead," said Korra with a bite in her voice. "It's not like you were ever going to listen to us, and we were never going to agree with you."

"Avatar Korra," said Tarrlok with a sigh. "Do you remember all the good we did with the Task Force? We could accomplish so much together."

"I'm already figuring out a way to stop Amon without you," she said. Her eyes must have turned to Amon, because Tarrlok's gaze fell on him.

"Alright," said Tarrlok, rising to his feet. "I can tell I'm not welcome. What a waste of time." He swept out of the room without another word.

Korra let out a huff. "What an-."

"Korra!" said Tenzin before she could get it out. He sighed. "I'm afraid this is not good for anyone in Republic City. We'll have riots on our hands."

"I'll stop them all," said Korra. "The police, if they get too rough, and the non-benders, if they get too rowdy. Her head jerked to look at Amon. "Let's go do some work."

"Tonight?" he asked. He hated to admit it, but he was tired after all that had happened.

Beifong looked up. "We need her to figure out how to reverse this now more than ever," she said, still not privy to their real work. "Have you made any progress at all?"

Amon and Korra locked eyes. "No," she said. "Not yet. Which is why we have to work now."

She jumped up, and Amon pushed himself up in the way an older man would. As they left he whispered, "Aren't you tired? We could always train tomorrow."

"No," she said. "I felt him tonight, but I was too nervous to do anything. Next time I see him, Amon is going down."

He gave her a genuine grin, though not for the reason she thought. "Alright, you go along ahead to the western field. I need to get something."

She nodded and ran off ahead. He was going to bring one of the little sky bisons for her to work with. Those were about as equivalent to a human as he could get without using one. The baby trusted him without question after he gave it an apple, and it flew through the air to follow as he offered another.

He was about halfway to their meeting spot when suddenly, his hand spasmed and let go of the apple. The sky bison landed with a thud to claim the treat without noticing there was something wrong with the person who had offered it. Someone was bloodbending him.

"Korra?" he called out to the wind. "What are you doing?"

A shadow approached him, far bulkier and taller than the Avatar. "No brother," said Tarrlok. "It's only me."

Amon could have easily broken his brother's grip on him, but Korra was close and might be watching. "Councilman, what are you doing?" he asked. The little sky bison seemed to realize something was wrong by the sound of his voice and took off, mooing as it went.

"Not going to call me by my real name, Noatak?" asked Tarrlok.

Amon cringed at the sound of his old name. There was no Noatak, only Amon and occasionally Temur. "What?" he asked, keeping up the act.

"As if I would forget my brother's face," said Tarrlok. "Even after all these years. Admit it."

"You think I'm your brother?" asked Amon. The bloodbending grip was starting to become more painful, but he could not break it without completely revealing himself. "Please, I'm telling you, I'm not."

"Twenty-four years, Noatak," said Tarrlok. "But it's as though nothing has changed. What are you doing here? Teaching the Avatar bloodbending like our father taught us?"

"Please, let me go," said Amon, making his voice as pathetic as possible. He was not going to attempt to argue with his brother. Let the world think that Tarrlok was mad. "I'm not even a bender anymore. Amon took it away."

Tarrlok tossed his head back to laugh. "I find that incredibly hard to believe," he said. "No one could ever get the jump on you." Tarrlok applied pressure with his bending, lifting Amon into the air and firing all of his muscles so he was locked into a tight position. If no one came soon, he would have to break the hold himself to stop the pain. Then he would teach his little brother a hard lesson.

He felt it: the flutter of a faster heartbeat. It had to be Korra. Amon needed his brother to shut up, so he applied just the right amount of bloodbending to Tarrlok's throat.

"Who are yo-." Tarrlok was screaming one moment, then coughing the next. His hacking was cut off at the same time as his bending, and Amon crumpled to the ground. Out of the darkness, Korra came running up to them.

"He's a bloodbender too!" she said. "How many are there?"

Whatever she was doing was not good. Tarrlok was clawing at his chest, and as much as he wanted to punish his brother, Amon did not want to kill him.

"Korra, stop!" he said, running to Tarrlok's side. "You're killing him."

He wasn't looking at her, but he could feel the rapid progression of her heartbeat, going from the calm place of bloodbending to the quick pace of what was either fear or excitement. Amon couldn't be sure. Tarrlok was gasping for breath, but alive. "Go get Tenzin and Beifong," he said.

Korra only hesitated a moment before running off. He made sure she was out of sight and earshot before looking down at his brother. Then he grinned.

"It has been a long time, brother," he said.

Tarrlok's eyes grew wide, fighting through the pain. "That voice," he said. "You're Amon?"

"I'm Temur," he said. "And you are not going to ruin my plans."

With a little tweak of bloodbending, he knocked Tarrlok unconscious and waited for everyone to arrive. Korra was the first to arrive, running and dropping to his side.

"He passed out," said Amon. "What did you tell them?"

"That he was bloodbending you, and I snuck up on him and caught him by surprise with my waterbending."

Amon nodded. "He thought I was you," he said. "I had no idea there were other bloodbenders out there."

"No one knew," she said.

Tenzin and Beifong were coming over the hill. "What happened to him?" asked Tenzin.

"He passed out," said Amon, getting to his feet. "He's a bloodbender."

"Korra told us," said Tenzin. His gaze was fixed on Amon, who gave him an ignorant shrug. "In the city council. I can't believe he hid it all these years."

Beifong metal bent some cuffs around Tarrlok's hands and feet, and used her ability to lift him into the air. "There hasn't been a bloodbender in Republic City since…" She didn't finish. "I'll have him arrested and questioned, but bloodbending is an automatic sentence. He would lose his bending if you knew how to do it Korra. Where's Amon when you need him?" No one laughed.

"What was he doing though?" asked Tenzin. "Why did he use it on you Temur?"

Amon shook his head in a world-weary way. "He thought I was Korra," he said. "Then, when he realized I wasn't, he kept asking me who I was and why I was so close to the Avatar. Thankfully, Korra came to help out."

"Yeah, Tarrlok was going crazy," she said. "He was screaming nonsense."

Amon wondered how much she had really heard, but decided that was a conversation for later. "Maybe we could forgo our experiments for tonight?" he asked Korra.

"Of course," said Korra. "I guess we could all use some rest."

"May we talk, Temur?" asked Tenzin.

Amon nodded and looked at Korra, who didn't seem to want to leave the two of them alone. She was probably worried that he would tell Tenzin about the full extent of her abilities and what she had been using them for. Still, she had no choice but to go ahead with Beifong and Tarrlok dangling from his shackles.

"She likes you," said Tenzin. "Your lessons must be going well. Unlike ours." The airbending training was still leading nowhere.

"How much has she told you?" asked Amon, wondering what to reveal.

"Nothing other than that she's progressing," he said. "She's been saying that Amon stands no chance against her."

Amon would have laughed, but Temur kept a frown on his face. "She shouldn't underestimate him," he said. "I mean, he took my bending even though I could bloodbend."

Tenzin nodded. "Tell me, do you think Tarrlok could tell?" he asked. "About Korra and you?"

Amon shrugged. His story hinged on Tarrlok's. He would have to get his equalists to capture his brother. Maybe he should have let Korra kill him. That thought brought forth about a dozen new ideas and plans for the Avatar, but he put them aside. "It's possible for Korra, but how would he know about me? I don't have it anymore."

"What are the chances that two bloodbenders emerge after however many years," said Tenzin. "Lin was about to say, but then stopped herself, probably for Korra's sake. Do you know about Yakone?"

Did he know about his own father? Of course. He feigned ignorance anyway. Tenzin went on to tell him the story of his father, who was also able to bloodbend without the aid of the full moon.

"I had no idea," said Amon. "When was all that?"

"About sixty years ago," said Tenzin. "My father was still a young man."

"Instead of a young woman," he suggested with a smirk. A smile stretched across Tenzin's face, and he clapped Amon on the back.

"Take care of her," he said. "Don't let her get ahead of herself. Maybe I could sit in on one of your training sessions."

"Of course," said Amon.

They made their way back to the main house, and where the roads diverged, Amon paused before heading towards the acolytes' building. "Do you think there's still some food left in the kitchen?" asked Amon

"Always," said Tenzin. "Otherwise, Pema and I would be forced to wake up every other night to get something together for the children. And Korra. Help yourself."

Amon went to search for food and found Korra already there at the table. She had a bowl of noodles in front of her that she was eating with her fingers a single thread at a time. He sat down across from her.

"Thank you for saving me," he said.

"From Tarrlok?" she asked. "The guy's a loser. He probably wouldn't have done anything to you."

"Still," he said. "Being bloodbent isn't the most comfortable thing in the world."

Her head dropped. "It's like this thing didn't exist three weeks ago, and now suddenly I'm a bloodbender, you're a bloodbender, Tarrlok's a bloodbender. Next thing you know, Amon will be a bloodbender."

He blinked and did his best to keep a straight face so as not to encourage that line of thought. Luckily, she didn't follow through with the idea. "I was just thinking about what I might be doing right now if I was only a waterbender."

"You mean, if you weren't the Avatar?" he asked. He liked where she was going.

"Yeah," she said, pulling a single noodle from the pile. "Still have my regular bending and my blo-." She stopped short of saying bloodbending. "Let someone else deal with this mess. No more attacks or surprises. It's not as if there's some great war going on that the world is hanging on. I mean, Amon could be stopped without me, right?"

No. She was the only thing standing in his way, and right now she wasn't standing firm. He didn't answer and let her come to her own conclusions.

"I've got to end this soon," she said. "Then things can go back to normal, and maybe I'll even figure out this whole airbending thing."

Amon shrugged. "You're the Avatar," he said. "I don't think anyone expects your life to be normal by any definition of the word."

She groaned and fell back to the floor. Amon smiled, and noticed, not for the first time, that he liked her. She wasn't what he had expected at the beginning of his plan. It was a pleasant thought, and one that drove his actions over the final week of his plan.


	7. Chapter 7

7:

Tenzin himself had to go downtown to the police headquarters to convince Tarrlok's appointee to release Korra's friends after they were arrested for protesting the curfew on non-benders. It didn't matter that Tarrlok had been arrested for bloodbending. His lapdog was just as vicious and stupid. Tenzin had asked Korra not to accompany him so as not to exacerbate the situation, which she was not happy about. She had come straight to Amon to train and let off some steam.

He was more concerned with a new, important step in his plan. Now that the pro-bending tournament was over, Sato was going public to announce his allegiance. At Amon's behest, of course. The car mogul was doing it to initiate the fight against the benders, but Amon was planning-or hoping at least-for something different.

He had been trying to figure out a way for the Korra-Asami situation to reach a boiling-point. What better way than to reveal her as the daughter of an equalist? The whole situation where she had been thrown in jail was a huge wrench in his plan, but hopefully, she would be released before Sato made the announcement.

On the west field, he watched her pace back and forth like an anxious armadillo lion. Usually, the sky bison would graze around them until they began their training, but today the large floating animals were driven away by the Avatar's angry aura. "Stupid idiot," she said. "They put innocent people in jail. For nothing."

He couldn't help smiling at her youthful rage. "It's alright," he said. "I'm sure Tenzin will take care of it without a problem. They'll be released in no time."

"It's not just Asami and the guys," she said. "It's everyone. I mean, not that I'm on Amon's side, but it's ridiculous how they treat non-benders." She paused. "How we all do."

He had never heard her talk like this. It was disconcerting, especially since his real goal wasn't equality. "Maybe we should get started," he said. "To keep your mind off of it."

She nodded and spun to face him. "Alright, what's on the schedule for today?"

He smiled. "We can probably do anything at this point," he said. "Maybe we should practice on people, so you're used to it when you face him."

Worry crossed her face. "I've already done it though," she said.

He let his face fall, to show her how serious he was. "I know," he said. "But we need to do it in a controlled situation. That's where you improve."

She nodded, but she looked dejected. "I don't want to do it on you," she said. "Or anyone else I know."

He could accept that, especially since she considered him important enough not to hurt him. But she wasn't letting go of the possibility of using her power, only setting limits for herself. "I suppose we could…hm," he said. He had no idea what to do.

She smiled a wide, sweet smile tinged with sadness. These were becoming more frequent. She was really starting to like him, and whatever guilt she had felt on his behalf was starting to decrease as well. He allowed this change as he revised his plans for her. He still needed to figure out a way to push her over the edge and onto his side, but he knew he was close. "Maybe we can just take a break," she said. "I'm not really feeling it tonight."

He returned her sad smile. "I don't blame you," he said. "But I do have a favor to ask."

"What?" she asked.

"Join me for a walk?" he asked.

Her smile broke into a full grin, and she nodded. They walked on the path around the mountain. It was easy and level, but long and picturesque, especially on a moonlit night. The moon was almost full. He was almost at his peak, as was she, but he had twenty-five years to her month of training.

"How come you're not married?" she asked out of nowhere.

Amon looked down at her. "What?" he asked. In a million years, he never would have expected that question.

Her cheeks turned red. "I know that was weird," she said. "But you really remind me of my dad. And he went down the family path really quickly."

Amon shrugged. "I guess that never appealed to me," he said. "I like my solitude, and I had bigger things on my mind when I was younger, so I never found anyone I really connected with."

"Bigger things," she repeated. Her eyes were locked straight ahead. "You can tell me the truth, Temur. Before he took your bending, did you use it on other people?"

He had to tread carefully now. What exactly did she want to hear? He tuned into her heartbeat and heard it racing. She was nervous, and he thought he could guess why. "I…" he trailed off, trying to match her nervousness. "I used to," he said. "When I was younger and starting off. I couldn't help myself."

He wanted her to ask why. It had to be on the tip of her tongue. She came to a stop, and Amon looked back to see a worried expression on her face. She crossed her arms and refused to make eye contact with him, like she always did when she felt guilty about her bloodbending. "I feel like I'm sinking into some deep trench in the middle of the ocean," she said. "And I don't know what's at the bottom, but it's not something good."

Amon was laughing inside, but he put on a serious face. "I don't think you should feel afraid," he said. "Or guilty. I think that whatever you choose to do with your abilities will be great. It will change the world."

She finally made eye-contact with him, and tears were forming at the corners of her eyes. But she was smiling. "Thank you," she said. She wiped away the tears furiously. "I'm sorry. It's been a rough day."

Another bond built between them, another victory. Things were falling into place nicely. A baby sky bison floated down from nowhere towards her. It licked her face and she laughed. "Now I know you're feeling better," he said. "The sky bison only like you when you're happy."

She laughed and wrapped her arms around the animal. "Maybe I'm getting more in touch with my spiritual side," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Korra!" a shout came out from across the fields. Both of them spun around, looking back down the trail. The voice was clearly Bolin's, so she set off at a sprint down the trail. Amon followed at a walk, reveling in his success. Now, there was only one thing to wait for, and since Asami was back, he could hope for even more.

The Avatar was surrounded by her friends: Bolin, Mako, Asami, Tenzin. They were describing their ordeal in great detail. "And there was this guy named Crusher," said Bolin. "No last name, no nickname. His parents gave him the name Crusher. Little did they know their son would only grow up to be five feet tall. But, he was definitely the scariest guy in there."

"He was the only guy in there," said Mako.

"So I'm not wrong," said Bolin. "Ugh, Korra, I thought I would never see you again."

"I was so scared, you guys," said Korra. "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't do more to help you?"

"It's alright," said Asami. "I mean what else could you have done that wouldn't have gotten you thrown in with us?"

"Besides," said Mako. "It's only been like two hours."

"Tenzin's a magician like that," said Bolin. "Were you working on fixing Temur?"

Now their attention was on him. Korra rescued him from the stares of three teenagers. "Yeah, I was trying to distract myself so I dragged him along to work off my rage. But now that you're back I feel much better. Should we eat?"

"I'm starving," said Asami.

"Me too," chimed in Mako.

Amon was glad he wasn't called on to talk. He didn't mind the children, but he didn't particularly like them, or enjoy their conversations. Korra acted differently around them. More childish, he supposed. He sat next to Pema and Tenzin at the dinner table to let her enjoy her friends for the night. The news could come at any moment.

Dinner came and went. They sat around that table for hours, picking at food, laughing, discussing the equalists and the unjust police. Temur contributed once or twice, but otherwise he waited until the inevitable interruption occurred.

One of the White Lotus guards ran in, and the dining room fell silent. "Master Tenzin, the news," he said, still trying to catch his breath. "The news. Sato Industries." He looked straight at Asami, as did everyone else. Temur risked the smallest smile.

"What happened?" asked Asami. She was so convincing, since, of course, she was telling the truth. She had no idea what was happening.

"They've just rolled a fleet of mech tanks into the main street of of the Dragon District. Hiroshi Sato has declared for the equalists. They're storming the police station right now."

The room gasped together, including Asami and Temur for show.

"What?" Korra half-shouted. It was beginning. Her face had contorted to something hideous. "It was you?"

Korra shot to her feet, followed by Tenzin and Mako. Pema and Bolin backed away from the table, out of the line of fire. Asami and Temur were frozen in place, the former shocked beyond belief, and the latter too curious to pull away.

"Korra, wait a second," said Tenzin. "Let's go listen to the radio."

Korra snarled and bared her teeth. "I want to hear it straight from the ostrich horse's mouth," she hissed.

Asami went on the defensive. "Korra, if this is true, I have nothing to do with it," she said. She didn't sound particularly angry at the accusation. Likely, she was more concerned about her father.

"I don't buy it," said Korra. "Every step of the way they've know what we were going to do. What better way to keep an eye on us that with an inside man?"

"Korra, she said she didn't do it," said Mako. "Don't jump to conclusions without evidence."

Oh, it was perfect. Korra's expression grew darker. "Jump to conclusions? It's public news. It's on the radio." She looked at the guard, who was suddenly very afraid. He nodded as if a knife were pressed to his throat.

"I am not my father," said Asami. "And I'm not an equalist."

"Lay off, Korra," said Mako.

The water and tea in their glasses on the table rose into the air and whipped around. Then, like rain, it sprinkled to the floor. This time, everyone hopped to their feet in Korra's wake. Suddenly, Asami started to struggle against some unseen force. She grasped at her throat, fighting for air, but then her arms stiffened and bent awkwardly.

"Tell the truth," said Korra. "I want to hear it now."

"Korra," said Tenzin. Everyone heard the tremor in his voice. "Korra stop now!"

"What is going on?" shouted Mako. He took Asami's shoulders in his hands and tried to calm her down. He looked at Korra. "What are you doing to her?"

It was time to step in. "Korra!" said Amon in a loud, firm voice. He took her by the shoulders as well. Her eyes were filled with rage, but as blue as the ocean. They were beautiful and, more importantly, they were like his. "Calm down and stop. Let her go."

The girl was breathing heavily, but her temper was diminishing, and a deep intake of air meant that Asami was free. Korra suddenly remembered herself. Her anger dissipated as fast as a wisp of steam off a cup of tea. She looked around at a room that had suddenly turned against her. But not him. Not Amon.


	8. Chapter 8

8:

 _Avatar Aang's statue tonight at dusk. One final lesson. Trust me. - T_.

That was the message he had left in Korra's room. The girl had been moping in there for days since the incident with the Sato girl, but Tenzin had finally dragged her out for some training, giving him an opportunity to leave the note. Otherwise, she had refused to see him, and he couldn't blame her. He was a constant reminder of her ultimate failure and her descent into darkness. He was enjoying it very much.

The fallout from the Sato announcement hadn't affected Asami much, as she stuck to her story and was believed innocent by most of the attendees at the dinner. Korra's fate had not been so kind.

Her friends had turned their backs on her after she revealed that she had used bloodbending on Asami. Pema was hesitant to let her near the children, and though Amon knew that fear would soon wear off, Korra did not. Only he and Tenzin were still willing to talk to her, and she wanted nothing to do with him. She had, quite maturely, taken all of the blame, telling her friends that she had been practicing on her own, hoping that bloodbending would help with Amon. Temur remained the innocent victim of Amon, whom she was hoping to save while she was demonized and shunned and in the perfect place to be manipulated.

Their meeting, if she decided to come, was the final step, and it was a gamble. She could easily refuse him and turn away from the path she was sprinting down. He doubted it. He had too much leverage over her now, as well as-and he was sure of this-some level of her affection. Like a father and daughter, as she had pointed out. A smile came to his face beneath the mask.

He hid in the shadows of the Avatar shrine in his equalist clothing and mask, but no makeup. She wouldn't see him at first, wouldn't understand until he stepped out into the light. Then, even after she saw his mask, she would doubt it was real. He would be using his real voice and ability, so she would cling to the hope that her teacher had not been Amon all this time. Temur's voice wasn't the deep bass that scared half of Republic City. Temur couldn't bloodbend-not any more at least. Amon imagined taking off his mask and revealing his unscarred face to her. He could see her reaction in his mind's eye. It would break her and bring her closer to him.

"Temur!" she called out, waking him from his revery. Night had only just set upon them, and the sky in the distance was still bleeding with pink from the setting sun. Her silhouette blocked the fading light, casting a long shadow across the floor. "Are you here?" she asked.

Before he acted, he let his senses sweep across the shrine. They were the only people there. Her heart was calm and trusting. He applied pressure.

He heard her gasp and choke out a noise. He lifted her into the air, and made sure she couldn't move.

"What-" she managed to spurt out. It was followed by another groan. He eased up a bit so they could talk. "Temur?" she asked "Tarrlok?"

Tarrlok was now in an equalist holding cell since Sato had taken over the prison. Temur was gone. There was only Amon.

"This is your final test, Korra," he called out in his full voice. Her heart leapt in his grasp.

"Amon!" she shouted. "What are you doing to me? What did you do with Temur?"

"You're not listening," he said. "I said this is your final test. You're failing it."

She was silent for a while. "You're bloodbending me?" she asked.

He let out a soft laugh. "You guessed it," he said. "In fact, you guessed it a few days ago. Tell me, do you understand the purpose of this exercise?"

He was starting to use some of Temur's voice to make her begin to understand. "Let me go!" she shouted. He could feel her body struggling. "You're a hypocrite! You're a bender!"

Finally, he stepped into the light so she could see him. "I am," he said. "Both of those things." This received no response from her. He tightened his grip. "How did it feel, Korra? How did she feel in your hands?"

She groaned in pain, but he knew she was still capable of speech. He squeezed a bit tighter. "I want to hear you say it," he said "How does bloodbending make you feel?"

He pressed her harder than he had ever pressed another human being and dropped her onto her knees on the floor. Her teeth were grinding through the pain, and a high-pitched whine sounded in the back of her throat. She would talk soon. It was so easy to tell the truth.

"I…" she said before another spasm of pain took over. He relaxed and positioned himself a few feet in front of her, looking down on her as she bowed over with the strain of his bloodbending. He could take away her bending right now. He could kill her. He could press her further to the point where she entered the Avatar state, then kill her. He liked having options.

"Tell me," he said.

"I love it!" she said. It was short and to the point, shouted for all the world to hear. It brought a smile to his face. He did not let her loose of his bloodbending grip.

"Good," he said. "Now that there's some honesty between us, we can move on. The final lesson of bloodbending is something I developed myself. It involves complete control of one's own body and requires the mental capability of fighting through self-inflicted pain."

He bent down to whisper in her ear. "You will remain under my power until you break free of it, faint, or die," he said. "That is the test of a true bloodbender."

She shouted out in pain and fury, and he could feel her struggle. She was fighting, but incorrectly. If she didn't understand him soon, she would tire herself out. It would ruin the theatricality of the moment. He had faith in her abilities, though, and in the end, she did not disappoint. With one deafening scream, she bloodbent herself and broke free of his grip. With freedom, came a blast of air that seemed to circle and twist around her. Amon held his mask in place in the face of her airbending. It only lasted for a few seconds before she collapsed in a pile on the floor.

Amon felt an odd hint of pride at the fact that he had been the one to unlock her final element. For all of Tenzin's work, it was her relationship with him that had been the key.

Now, all he had to do was wait. He had no idea what to expect next. She might be injured. In some people, his bloodbending had left bruises. She could have simply given up. That would be ideal. She would be easiest to manipulate in a disillusioned state. In his heart, he hoped to see her enter the Avatar State, only to know that he had induced it, like her airbending. He let her lie in a pile on the floor for a while, feeling her heartbeat slow to a crawl.

It took a decent portion of an hour for her to get to her feet, but she stood up straight. The only sign of disarray was a few stray hairs that had escaped her bangs. She stared at him with eyes full of loathing for a moment before averting them.

"Take the mask off," she said. He obliged, and her eyes flicked over to him for a moment before a look of extreme pain crossed her face. She hid her face in her hands, but he knew she wasn't crying. She wasn't the type of person to cry.

"I've fooled smarter people than you," he said with his true voice. It combined the deep pitch of Amon with the natural speech of Temur.

"Shut up!" she shouted. She was shaking with fury. When her hands came down from her eyes, they were no longer blue. In fact, he could no longer distinguish an iris or pupil. There was only white.

He did not know what the Avatar State meant before that moment. He had only read about it in books. It was a time when she was supposed to be in perfect control of the four elements and her spirituality. That was all fine and good to read in a book.

He now understood that his initial plan had been extremely foolish. The Avatar State, whatever it was, was so much more than could be put to words. Every sense he had was blown away. He couldn't hear the movement of water and blood inside her. He couldn't feel her heartbeat. The power of her chi was overwhelming and unwavering.

He felt compelled to take a step back, but she didn't move in his direction. Her stare was long and hard, and went slowly from hate to displeasure. Then her eyes went back to normal, the feeling of power faded, and the dust around their feet was pushed away in a wide circle of airbending.

"What more could you possibly take from me?" she asked. "Why am I here?"

He hummed and managed to keep a smile from his face for the sake of her pride. "It's your decision to make," he said. "I think you already know what you want."

"I don't want it with you," she said.

"You have no one else," he said. "You saw how quickly they turned against you. You saw how they looked at you when they found out what you could do. But you can't help it, can you? You can't deny how it makes you feel. You can't say that you and I aren't so different. At least with me, you could live honestly. Even if they see it as wrong."

Her frown almost disappeared, and now she was looking at him with a hopeful sort of expression. "You mean you feel it too?" she asked. "The desire to use it?"

"Always," he said. "What do you think I'm doing all of this for?"

Some higher level of understanding passed between them, and now the hatred in her eyes was a little less. "Explain," she said.

"When they're all powerless, we'll become like gods," he said. "No more nations or 'United Republic'. Only Amon. And when you're old enough to take my place, the Avatar will be in charge of the world, to control it and enjoy it as she sees fit."

She let out a laugh devoid of mirth. "This is what it's all been for?" she asked. "You want me as your successor?"

He grinned. "Not at first," he said. "My intention was to destroy you at first. Then I learned to appreciate you, and I thought we might do better on the same side, rather than opposing each other. I can see what you want more than anything. Something the White Lotus and Tenzin never understood."

"What is that?" she asked. He could tell she already knew his answer, but he humored her.

"Freedom," he said. "To do what you want with your power. Freedom from the typical path of the Avatar: a role you didn't even choose for yourself. You can use your power to make the world as you see fit. With some training and guidance, of course," he added.

Her nose scrunched in distaste. "So this is all about your power," she said. "What you want."

"Power can be shared among like-minded people," he said. "And the fact that you're still here discussing it, and that you haven't attacked me yet, means that you're considering it."

She let out a loud breath through flared nostrils, but still didn't turn away or move to strike. Then her face settled into that typical look of shame that he had been seeing since she first found him in that equalist dungeon. She crossed her arms and refused to look at him when she spoke.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

He smiled and put the mask on again. "Amon will take over the city," he said. "And the Avatar will disappear. When the benders see that they have no ground to stand on, their forces will crumble. I'll take their bending, and the world will follow suit or fall to our movement. You'll return, by my side, and help take down the bending powers of the world, one by one until only we remain."

He set his hand on her shoulder, like a father would his daughter. He felt her heart leap, and for a moment, she looked like the scared little girl he had first seen at the rally she had interrupted. He was gentle with her though, and she seemed to realize there was no danger.

"Will you join me, Korra?" he asked. It was the first time the sound of her name felt right in his voice.

"Yes," she said.

"Good," said Amon, smiling behind his mask. "Shall we plan our future?"


End file.
